Shloka 88

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ११०: पार्थभीमयोः प्रहारः तथा भीष्माभिमुखं संग्रामविस्तारः

Arjuna and Bhima’s pressure; escalation toward Bhishma

Devanagari script

एतत्‌ कुरुष्व कौन्तेय यथोक्तं मम सुव्रत । संग्रामे धार्तराष्ट्रां श्ष हन्या: सर्वान्‌ समागतान्‌

Transliteration

etat kuruṣva kaunteya yathoktaṁ mama suvrata | saṅgrāme dhārtarāṣṭrāṁś ca hanyāḥ sarvān samāgatān ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “O son of Kuntī, steadfast in noble vows, do exactly this as I have instructed. Only by applying this strategy in battle will you be able to strike down all the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra and their forces assembled on the field.”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'etat', 'definition': 'this (course of action), this instruction'}, {'term': 'kuruṣva', 'definition': 'do (imperative), carry out'}, {'term': 'kaunteya', 'definition': 'son of Kuntī

• epithet of Yudhiṣṭhira (and the Pāṇḍavas)'}, {'term': 'yathoktam', 'definition': 'as stated, as instructed'}, {'term': 'mama', 'definition': 'by me, my'}, {'term': 'suvrata', 'definition': 'one of good vows

• disciplined, devoted to righteous observances'}, {'term': 'saṅgrāme', 'definition': 'in battle, in war'}, {'term': 'dhārtarāṣṭrān', 'definition': 'the sons/party of Dhṛtarāṣṭra

• the Kauravas'}, {'term': 'hanyāḥ', 'definition': 'you should slay/strike down (optative

• ‘ought to/are able to’ depending on context)'}, {'term': 'sarvān', 'definition': 'all, the entire'}, {'term': 'samāgatān', 'definition': 'assembled, gathered together, arrived'}]

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Kaunteya (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Dhārtarāṣṭras (Kauravas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A leader must act with disciplined resolve and apply the advised policy/strategy without wavering; in a dharmic war, effectiveness is tied to clear adherence to counsel and to one’s kṣatriya responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma addresses Yudhiṣṭhira (Kaunteya), urging him to implement the method Bhīṣma has just explained; Bhīṣma frames it as the practical means by which the assembled Kauravas (Dhārtarāṣṭras) and their forces can be overcome in the battle.