Shloka 21

Śiśupāla-vākya: Bhīṣma-nindā and the ‘Haṃsa’ Exemplum (शिशुपालवाक्यम् — भीष्मनिन्दा, हंसदृष्टान्तः)

Devanagari script

तमिमं गुणसम्पन्नमार्य च पितरं गुरुम्‌ । अर्घ्यमर्चितमर्चहिं सर्वे संक्षन्तुमर्हथ,जो अर्घ्य पानेके सर्वथा योग्य और पूजनीय है, उन सकलगुणसम्पन्न, श्रेष्ठ पिता और गुरु भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्णकी हमलोगोंने पूजा की है, अतः सब राजालोग इसके लिये हमें क्षमा करें

Transliteration

tam imaṃ guṇasampannam āryaṃ ca pitaraṃ gurum | arghyam arcitam arcaiḥ sarve saṃkṣantum arhatha ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “We have offered worship to this noble father and teacher, endowed with every virtue—one wholly worthy to receive the arghya and to be honored. Therefore, let all the kings forgive us for this act.”

Word by Word

तम्him/that (person)

इमम्this

गुणसम्पन्नम्endowed with virtues

आर्यंnoble, venerable

चand

पितरम्father

गुरुम्teacher, preceptor

अर्घ्यंarghya (honor-offering/water of respect)

अर्चितम्honored, worshipped

अर्चहिंwe have worshipped

सर्वेall (of you)

संक्षन्तुम्to forgive, to pardon

अर्हथyou ought/are fit (to)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Śrī Kṛṣṇa

kings (assembled rulers)

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?

True honor follows dharma: one who is genuinely virtuous and worthy of reverence should be honored, and social friction arising from rightful honor should be met with kṣamā (forbearance/forgiveness).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the royal assembly context, Bhīṣma justifies the offering of arghya to Kṛṣṇa as the most deserving guest and asks the assembled kings to pardon any offense or resentment caused by giving Kṛṣṇa precedence.