Shloka 11

Śikhaṇḍī-janma-nigūḍha-vṛtta (The concealed birth-account of Śikhaṇḍī) | शिखण्डी-जन्म-निगूढ-वृत्त

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच स हि प्रकृत्या वै भीतः किल्विषी च नराधिप: । भयं तीव्रमनुप्राप्तो द्रपद: पृथिवीपति:,भीष्म कहते हैं--राजा द्रुपद उन दिनों स्वभावसे ही भीरु थे। फिर उनके द्वारा अपराध भी बन गया था। अतः उन्होंने बड़े भारी भयका अनुभव किया

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | sa hi prakṛtyā vai bhītaḥ kilviṣī ca narādhipaḥ | bhayaṃ tīvram anuprāpto drupadaḥ pṛthivīpatiḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: Denn jener König war von Natur aus furchtsam, und zudem hatte er sich einer Verfehlung schuldig gemacht. Darum wurde Drupada, Herr der Erde, von heftiger Angst ergriffen.

Word by Word

भीष्मःBhishma

उवाचsaid

सःhe

हिindeed/for

प्रकृत्याby nature

वैindeed (emphatic particle)

भीतःafraid

किल्विषीsinful/guilty (one who has committed an offence)

चand

नराधिपःking (lord of men)

भयम्fear

तीव्रम्intense

अनुप्राप्तःhaving come upon/overcome (having reached the state of)

द्रुपदःDrupada

पृथिवीपतिःlord of the earth/king

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Drupada

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?

Fear is intensified when a person is already timid by temperament and is further burdened by wrongdoing; ethical lapse (kilviṣa) breeds inner insecurity and anticipation of consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma characterizes Drupada as naturally fearful and additionally guilty of an offense; as a result, Drupada is described as being overtaken by severe fear, setting the emotional and moral backdrop for the unfolding political conflict.