Shloka 10

Devanagari script

मुझे इनका अन्त दिखायी नहीं देता। इनके लिये किसी भी दिशाका द्वार बंद नहीं है। ये जिस समय क्रोधमें भर जाते हैं उस समय दावानलकी लपटोंके समान हो जाते हैं और वैसी ही दाहक दृष्टिसे देखने लगते हैं ।। बिभ्यत्येषां साहसिका गुणास्तेषामतीव हि । कूपा इव तृणच्छन्ना विशुद्धा द्यौरिवापरे,बड़े-बड़े साहसी भी इनसे भय मानते हैं; क्योंकि इनके भीतर गुण ही अधिक होते हैं। इन ब्राह्मणोंमेंसे कुछ तो घास-फ़ूससे ढके हुए कूपकी तरह अपने तेजको छिपाए रखते हैं और कुछ निर्मल आकाशकी भाँति प्रकाशित होते रहते हैं

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | na me teṣām antaḥ pratyakṣo bhavati | na teṣāṁ diśāṁ prati kaścid dvāra-nirodhaḥ | yadā te krodhena samāviṣṭā bhavanti tadā dāvāgnijvālā-sadṛśā bhavanti tathā ca dāhakayā dṛṣṭyā paśyanti || bibhyaty eṣāṁ sāhasikā guṇās teṣām atīva hi | kūpā iva tṛṇacchannā viśuddhā dyaur ivāpare ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “I cannot see the limit of these men. No gate in any direction is closed to them. When they are filled with anger, they become like the tongues of a forest-fire, and they look with a burning gaze. Even the bold and daring fear them, for their inner excellence is exceedingly great. Among these brāhmaṇas, some conceal their power like wells covered over with grass, while others shine openly, pure and manifest like the clear sky.”

Word by Word

बिभ्यतिfear

एषाम्of these (persons)

साहसिकाःbold, daring (men)

गुणाःqualities, virtues

तेषाम्of them

अतीवexceedingly, very

हिindeed, for

कूपाःwells

इवlike, as

तृणच्छन्नाःcovered with grass

विशुद्धाःpure, clear

द्यौःsky, heaven

इवlike, as

अपरेothers

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Brāhmaṇas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma highlights the formidable spiritual and moral potency attributed to brāhmaṇas: their virtues and inner power can be so great that even the brave fear them, especially when anger is unleashed. He also distinguishes between those who conceal their strength in humility and those whose purity and influence are openly evident.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-setting, Bhīṣma is describing a class of brāhmaṇas and their nature—unbounded in capability, terrifying when enraged, and varied in outward expression: some hide their radiance like a grass-covered well, while others shine like the clear sky.