Shloka 15

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच इति तस्य वच: श्रुत्वा ततश्रेदिपतिर्नुप: । भीष्म रूक्षाक्षरा वाच: श्रावयामास भारत,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! भीष्मजीकी यह बात सुनकर चेदिराज शिशुपाल उनको बड़ी कठोर बातें सुनाने लगा

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | iti tasya vacaḥ śrutvā tataś cedi-patir nṛpaḥ | bhīṣmaṃ rūkṣākṣarā vācaḥ śrāvayāmāsa bhārata ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O king (Janamejaya), having heard those words, the ruler of Cedi then began to address Bhīṣma with harsh, cutting speech, O descendant of Bharata.”

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

इतिthus

तस्यof him/that (person)

वचःspeech, words

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

ततःthen, thereafter

चेदिपतिःlord of Cedi (king of Cedi)

नृपःthe king

भीष्मम्Bhīṣma

रूक्षाक्षराःharsh-syllabled, harsh-worded

वाचःwords, speeches

श्रावयामासmade (him) hear; addressed; spoke to

भारतO Bhārata (descendant of Bharata)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janamejaya

Bhīṣma

Śiśupāla

Cedi

Bhārata (lineage/epithet)

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?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of speech: when pride and anger arise in a royal assembly, words can become weapons. It implicitly contrasts restraint and dharmic discourse with rūkṣa (harsh) speech that escalates conflict and dishonors both speaker and setting.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Bhīṣma’s statement is heard, Śiśupāla—the king of Cedi—reacts by launching into harsh, insulting speech directed at Bhīṣma, as Vaiśampāyana narrates this to King Janamejaya.