Shloka 23

Devanagari script

निकृत्तचाप: समरेडनपेक्ष: पराजित: शान्तनवेन चाजौ । विहाय बन्धूनथ सोदरांश्न क्व यास्यसे नानुरूपं तवेदम्‌,'युद्धमें शान्तनुनन्दन भीष्मने तुम्हारा धनुष काटकर तुम्हें पराजित कर दिया; फिर भी तुम उनकी ओरसे निरपेक्ष हो रहे हो। अपने सगे भाइयोंको छोड़कर कहाँ जाओगे? यह कायदा तुम्हारे अनुरूप नहीं है

Transliteration

nikṛttacāpaḥ samare ’napekṣaḥ parājitaḥ śāntanavena cājau | vihāya bandhūn atha sodarāṁś ca kva yāsyase nānurūpaṁ tavedaṁ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “In the battle, the son of Śantanu (Bhīṣma) has cut down your bow and defeated you in combat; yet you now act as though indifferent toward him. Abandoning your kinsmen—indeed, even your own brothers—where will you go? Such conduct is not fitting for you.”

Word by Word

• {'nikṛtta-cāpaḥ': 'one whose bow has been cut off/broken', 'samare': 'in battle', 'anapekṣaḥ': 'indifferent, unconcerned

• acting without regard', 'parājitaḥ': 'defeated', 'śāntanavena': 'by the son/descendant of Śantanu (Bhīṣma)', 'ājau': 'in the fight, in combat', 'vihāya': 'having abandoned, leaving behind', 'bandhūn': 'kinsmen, relatives', 'atha': 'and then

• moreover', 'sodarān': 'uterine brothers, full brothers', 'ca': 'and', 'kva': 'where?', 'yāsyase': 'will you go?', 'na anurūpam': 'not suitable, not in keeping (with one’s station/nature)', 'tava': 'for you/your', 'idam': 'this (behavior/act)'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Śantanu
• bow (cāpa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores kṣatriya-ethics: one should not abandon one’s kin and obligations out of fear or discouragement after defeat. Indifference or withdrawal in the face of a rightful opponent—especially after being overcome—appears as a lapse in honor and duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a battlefield rebuke: after Bhīṣma (Śantanu’s son) cuts an opponent’s bow and defeats him, that person seems ready to disengage or turn away. Sañjaya questions where he can go after leaving his relatives and brothers, calling such behavior unfitting.