Shloka 4

भीष्मस्य सेनापत्यप्रतिज्ञा तथा रथसंख्यावर्णनम् | Bhishma Accepts Command and Enumerates Kaurava Strength

Devanagari script

परवीर्य समाश्रित्य यः समाह्दयते परान्‌ | क्षत्रबन्धु रशक्तत्वाल्लोके स पुरुषाधम:,“जो दूसरेके बल-पराक्रमका आश्रय ले शत्रुओंको युद्धके लिये बुलाता है, वह क्षत्रबन्धु असमर्थ होनेके कारण लोकमें पुरुषाधम कहा गया है

Transliteration

paravīrya samāśritya yaḥ samāhvayate parān | kṣatrabandhuḥ aśaktatvāl loke sa puruṣādhamaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Wer sich auf die Kraft und Tüchtigkeit anderer stützt und so die Feinde zum Kampf herausruft, ist nur dem Namen nach ein Kṣatriya. Wegen eigener Unfähigkeit gilt er in der Welt als der Niedrigste unter den Menschen.

Word by Word

परवीर्यम्another's prowess/strength

समाश्रित्यhaving resorted to / relying on

यःwho

समाह्वयतेchallenges/calls (to battle)

परान्others; enemies

क्षत्रबन्धुःa kshatriya only by kin/name (unworthy kshatriya)

अशक्तत्वात्because of inability/weakness

लोकेin the world

सःhe

पुरुषाधमःthe lowest of men; vile man

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

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?

The verse criticizes the warrior who issues a battle-challenge while depending on others’ strength. In the kṣatriya ethical ideal, courage and accountability must be personal; relying on borrowed might to provoke conflict is portrayed as dishonorable and morally blameworthy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya delivers a moral judgment within the Udyoga Parva’s war-preparation context, characterizing a certain type of challenger: one who summons opponents to fight not from his own capacity but by sheltering behind stronger allies, thereby earning the reproach ‘kṣatrabandhu’ and ‘puruṣādhama’.