Shloka 19

भीष्मकृतः पाण्डवपक्ष-महारथ-प्रशंसा

Bhishma’s appraisal of Pandava-aligned chariot-warriors

Devanagari script

“तुम राग-द्वेषसे भरे हुए हो; अतः मोहवश मनमाने ढंगसे रथी-अतिरथियोंका विभाग कर रहे हो ।।

Transliteration

tvaṁ rāga-dveṣena bhṛtaḥ; ataḥ mohavaśaṁ manamāna-dhaṅgena rathī-atirathīnāṁ vibhāgaṁ karoṣi. duryodhana mahābāho sādhu samyag avekṣyatām; tyajyatāṁ duṣṭabhāvo ’yaṁ bhīṣmaḥ kilbiṣakṛt tava.

Translation

Du bist erfüllt von Anhaftung und Hass; darum ordnest du, vom Wahn geblendet, die Krieger willkürlich als ‘rathīs’ und ‘atirathīs’ ein. O Duryodhana mit den mächtigen Armen, bedenke es sorgfältig und sieh klar: gib diese böse Vorstellung auf, «Bhīṣma handle sündhaft gegen dich».

Word by Word

• {'rāga': 'attachment, passion, partiality', 'dveṣa': 'hatred, aversion', 'bhṛta (bhṛtaḥ)': 'filled, borne, possessed by', 'mohavaśa': 'under the control of delusion', 'manamāna-dhaṅga': 'self-willed manner

• arbitrary way', 'rathī': 'a chariot-warrior

• a fighter of a certain rank', 'atirathī': 'a superior chariot-warrior

• an elite fighter of higher rank', 'vibhāga': 'division, classification, allotment', 'mahābāho': 'O mighty-armed (epithet of a hero/warrior)', 'sādhu': 'well

• properly', 'samyak': 'correctly

• thoroughly', 'avekṣyatām': 'let it be examined/considered

• look carefully', 'tyajyatām': 'let it be abandoned

• give it up', 'duṣṭabhāva': 'wicked disposition/idea

• malicious attitude', 'bhīṣma': 'Bhīṣma (the Kuru elder and commander)', 'kilbiṣakṛt': 'doing wrong

• culpable', 'tava': 'toward you

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Duryodhana
• rathī
• atirathī

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Judgment clouded by rāga (attachment) and dveṣa (hatred) becomes arbitrary and unjust; one should examine matters clearly and abandon malicious suspicions—especially against elders and well-wishers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma addresses Duryodhana, warning that his delusion-driven bias is distorting his assessment of warriors and leading him to suspect Bhīṣma of wrongdoing; Bhīṣma urges careful reflection and the rejection of that hostile attitude.