Shloka 44

Bhīṣma–Karṇa Saṃvāda on the Śaraśayyā (भीष्म–कर्ण संवादः शरशय्यायाम्)

Devanagari script

तावकानां जये भीष्मो ग्लह आसीद्‌ विशाम्पते । तत्र हि द्यूतमासक्तं विजयायेतराय वा,प्रजानाथ! उस युद्धरूपी जूएमें आपके पुत्रोंकी ओरसे विजयके लिये भीष्मको ही दाँवपर लगाया था। इस प्रकार वहाँ विजय अथवा पराजयके लिये रणद्यूत उपस्थित हो गया

Transliteration

tāvakānāṁ jaye bhīṣmo glaha āsīd viśāmpate | tatra hi dyūtam āsaktaṁ vijayāyetarāya vā, prajānātha |

Translation

Sanjaya said: “O lord of the people, for the victory of your sons Bhishma was set down as the stake in that wager. There, as in a game of dice, the struggle was bound to one of two ends—triumph or defeat—war itself taking on the nature of gambling, with life and duty risked for the hope of winning.”

Word by Word

तावकानाम्of your people/sons (Kauravas)

जयेin victory / for victory

भीष्मःBhishma

ग्लहःstake / wager

आसीत्was

विशाम्of the people

पतेO lord

तत्रthere

हिindeed / for

द्यूतम्game of dice / gambling

आसक्तम्attached/engaged (in)

विजयायfor victory

इतरायfor the other (i.e., defeat)

वाor

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Bhishma

Dhritarashtra

Kauravas (tāvakāḥ)

War as a dice-game (raṇa-dyūta concept)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes