Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अहं त्वया चात्मगुणैर्जित: पार्थिवसत्तम | आत्मानमनवज्ञाय जितवद्‌ वर्ततां भवान्‌,तदनन्तर मिथिलानरेशने कोसल-राजकुमारको अपने निकट बुलाकर कहा--नृपश्रेष्ठ! मैंने धर्म और नीतिका सहारा लेकर सम्पूर्ण जगत्‌पर विजय पायी है, परंतु आज तुमने अपने गुणोंसे मुझे भी जीत लिया। अतः तुम अपनी अवज्ञा न करके एक विजयी वीरके समान बर्ताव करो

Transliteration

ahaṁ tvayā cātmaguṇair jitaḥ pārthiva-sattama | ātmānam anavajñāya jitavad vartatāṁ bhavān |

Translation

Bhishma sprach: „O Bester der Könige, durch deine eigenen Tugenden bin ich von dir besiegt worden. Darum geringschätze dich nicht; verhalte dich wie einer, der gesiegt hat.“

Word by Word

अहम्I

त्वयाby you

चand

आत्मगुणैःby (your) own virtues

जितःconquered/defeated

पार्थिवसत्तमO best of kings

आत्मानम्yourself

अनवज्ञायnot disrespecting (having not slighted)

जितवत्like a victor; victor-like

वर्तताम्let (him/you) behave; may (you) conduct yourself

भवान्you (honorific)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

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?

Victory grounded in virtue is superior to external conquest; one should not demean oneself but live with the dignity and discipline of a true victor.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma, speaking as an elder authority, praises a king/prince for conquering him through noble qualities and exhorts him to maintain self-respect and act in accordance with that moral triumph.