Shloka 2

Bhīṣma–Śiśupāla-saṃvādaḥ

Bhishma and Shishupala’s exchange in the assembly

Devanagari script

युक्तमेतत्‌ तृतीयायां प्रकृतौ वर्तता त्वया । दक्तुं धर्मादपेतार्थ त्वं हि सर्वकुरूत्तम:,तुम तीसरी प्रकृतिमें स्थित (नपुंसक) हो, अतः तुम्हारे लिये इस प्रकार धर्मविरुद्ध बातें कहना उचित ही है। फिर भी यह आश्चर्य है कि तुम समूचे कुरुकुलके श्रेष्ठ पुरुष कहे जाते हो

Translation

“That is fitting enough, since you abide in the ‘third nature’ (neither man); thus it suits you to utter words that stray from dharma. Yet it is astonishing that you are still called the foremost man of the entire Kuru line.”

Word by Word

युक्तम्proper, fitting

एतत्this

तृतीयायाम्in the third (state/nature)

प्रकृतौin (your) nature/condition

वर्तताyou are abiding/remaining

त्वयाby you

दक्तुम्to give

धर्मात्from dharma, from righteousness

अपेतdeviated, fallen away

अर्थम्meaning/thing, matter

त्वम्you

हिindeed, for

सर्वof all

कुरूत्तमःthe best of the Kurus

Speaker

शिशुपाल उवाच

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes