Shloka 21

Devanagari script

संवासजं परं स्नेहमृषिणा कुर्वता तदा । स द्वीपी व्याप्रतां नीतो रिपू्णां बलवत्तर:,तब सहवासजनित उत्तम स्नेहका निर्वाह करते हुए महर्षिने चीतेको बाघ बना दिया। अब वह अपने शत्रुओंके लिये अत्यन्त प्रबल हो उठा

Transliteration

saṃvāsajaṃ paraṃ sneham ṛṣiṇā kurvatā tadā | sa dvīpī vyāpratāṃ nīto ripūṇāṃ balavattaraḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: Damals, während der Weise die höchste, aus enger Gemeinschaft geborene Zuneigung bewahrte, verwandelte er den Leoparden in einen Tiger, sodass dieser gegen seine Feinde überaus mächtig wurde. Der Vers hebt hervor, dass innige, dauerhafte Nähe und Fürsorge Wesen und Kraft verwandeln können; eine ethische Mahnung, dass Pflege und Beziehung angeborene Neigungen zu wirksamem Handeln umlenken können.

Word by Word

संवासजम्born of cohabitation/association

परम्supreme, excellent

स्नेहम्affection, friendship

ऋषिणाby the sage

कुर्वताwhile doing/maintaining

तदाthen, at that time

सःhe

द्वीपीthe leopard/panther

व्याघ्रताम्tiger-hood, the state of being a tiger

नीतःwas led/made (to become)

रिपूणाम्of enemies / for enemies

बलवत्तरःstronger, very powerful

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Ṛ

ṛṣi (a sage)

dvīpī (leopard/panther)

ripavaḥ (enemies)

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?

Close, sustained association (saṃvāsa) and genuine affection (sneha) can reshape behavior and capacity; nurture and guidance can awaken strength and purposeful action, even in a being with fierce instincts.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes a sage who, by maintaining deep companionship-born affection, brings a leopard into active exertion; as a result, it becomes more formidable against its enemies—illustrating transformation through care and proximity.