Shloka 6

Adhyāya 203 — Tilottamā-sṛṣṭiḥ

Creation and Commissioning of Tilottamā

Devanagari script

उचितत्वं प्रियत्वं च योगस्यथापि च वर्णयेत्‌ । पुनः पुनश्न कौन्तेयान्‌ माद्रीपुत्री च सान्त्वयन्‌,इसी प्रकार वह कुन्ती और माद्रीके पुत्रोंको सान्त्वना देते हुए बार-बार इस सम्बन्धके उचित और प्रिय होनेकी चर्चा करे

Transliteration

ucitatvaṁ priyatvaṁ ca yogasya athāpi ca varṇayet | punaḥ punaś ca kaunteyān mādrīputrī ca sāntvayan ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Er soll immer wieder darlegen, dass dieses Bündnis sowohl angemessen als auch erfreulich ist; und während er die Söhne Kuntīs und den Sohn Mādrīs tröstet, soll er sie wiederholt beruhigen.“

Word by Word

उचितत्वम्propriety, appropriateness

प्रियत्वम्dearness, agreeableness

चand

योगस्यof the union/connection (marriage-alliance)

अथalso/then

अपिalso, even

चand

वर्णयेत्should describe/should speak of

पुनःagain

कौन्तेयान्the sons of Kunti (Kauravas/Pandavas contextually: Kunti’s sons)

माद्रीपुत्रीMadri’s daughter (i.e., a daughter of Madri)

चand

सान्त्वयन्comforting, consoling

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Kaunteyāḥ (sons of Kuntī)

Mādrīputra (son of Mādrī)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma emphasizes ethical persuasion: when proposing a sensitive union or alliance, one should repeatedly explain both its propriety (ucitatva) and its agreeableness (priyatva), while also offering emotional reassurance to those affected.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is giving practical counsel on how to address the Pāṇḍavas—identified as the sons of Kuntī and the son of Mādrī—by consoling them and repeatedly presenting the proposed connection as both right and pleasing.