Shloka 11

Durgātitaraṇa—Conduct for Crossing Difficulties (दुर्गातितरणम्)

Devanagari script

ये वदन्तीह सत्यानि प्राणत्यागे<प्युपस्थिते । प्रमाण भूता भूतानां दुर्गाण्यतितरन्ति ते

Transliteration

ye vadantīha satyāni prāṇatyāge 'py upasthite | pramāṇabhūtā bhūtānāṁ durgāṇy atitaranti te ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: Wer hier die Wahrheit sagt—selbst wenn der Augenblick gekommen ist, das eigene Leben hinzugeben—wird für alle Wesen zum Maß des Vertrauens; und er überschreitet selbst die härtesten Festungen und unwegsamsten Engpässe.

Word by Word

येwho (those who)

वदन्तिspeak, say

इहhere, in this world

सत्यानिtruths, true words

प्राणत्यागेat the giving up of life (at death)

अपिeven

उपस्थितेwhen (it is) present/arrived

प्रमाणभूताःbeing an authority/standard (trustworthy)

भूतानाम्of beings, of creatures

दुर्गाणिdifficulties, hard passages; forts (figuratively obstacles)

अतितरन्तिcross over, surmount

तेthey

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

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?

Truthfulness is upheld as a supreme ethical discipline: one who speaks truth even when life is at stake becomes a trustworthy moral authority for others and gains the power to overcome the most formidable obstacles.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma continues advising on righteous conduct, emphasizing the exceptional spiritual and social force of speaking truth under extreme pressure, even in the face of death.