Shloka 53

भीष्मविक्रमदर्शनं तथा क्रौञ्चारुणव्यूहविधानम् | Bhīṣma’s Ascendancy and the Organization of the Krauñcāruṇa Formation

Devanagari script

अहंकार बल दर्प काम॑ क्रोध॑ परिग्रहम्‌ विमुच्य निर्मम: शान्तो ब्रह्म भूयाय कल्पते

Transliteration

ahaṅkāra-bala-darpa-kāma-krodha-parigraham vimucya nirmamaḥ śānto brahma-bhūyāya kalpate |

Translation

Arjuna sprach: „Wer Egoismus, den Stolz auf Stärke, Überheblichkeit, Begierde, Zorn und Besitzgier ablegt, frei wird vom Gefühl des ‚Mein‘ und in innerem Frieden gegründet ist, wird tauglich, in Brahman zu verweilen — das heißt, im Zustand der Brahman-Verwirklichung zu leben. Ethisch weist die Lehre auf den Sieg über die inneren Feinde hin, die Gewalt und Anhaftung nähren, damit der Mensch ohne selbstsüchtiges Greifen handelt und in Gelassenheit standhaft bleibt.“

Word by Word

• अहंकारम्: egoism
• अहंकारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहंकार
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• बलम्: strength (pride of strength)
• बलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दर्पम्: arrogance
• दर्पम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्प
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कामम्: desire
• कामम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• क्रोधम्: anger
• क्रोधम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• परिग्रहम्: possessiveness/acceptance of possessions
• परिग्रहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिग्रह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विमुच्य: having abandoned/released
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+मुच्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• निर्ममः: free from 'mine'-ness
• निर्ममः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शान्तः: peaceful
• शान्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• भूयाय: may become
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Singular

• कल्पते: is fit/qualified
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Brahman

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that spiritual fitness for Brahman is grounded in ethical self-purification: abandoning egoism, pride, arrogance, desire, anger, and possessiveness, and becoming free from ‘mine-ness’ and established in peace.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna is speaking within the Bhīṣma Parva context, voicing (in a didactic register) a teaching about inner discipline and renunciation—shifting attention from external conflict to conquering the inner causes of bondage.