Shloka 36
केचिदूचुर्महेष्वासा: श्रुत्वा भीष्मस्य तद् वच: । पापो5वलिप्तो वृद्धश्न नायं भीष्मो$्हति क्षमाम्,कुछ महान् धनुर्धर नरेश भीष्मकी वह बात सुनकर कहने लगे--“यह बूढ़ा भीष्म पापी और घमण्डी है; अत: क्षमाके योग्य नहीं है
kecid ūcur maheṣvāsāḥ śrutvā bhīṣmasya tad vacaḥ | pāpo ’valipto vṛddhaś ca nāyaṃ bhīṣmo ’rhati kṣamām ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Hearing those words of Bhīṣma, some of the great bowmen spoke out: “This Bhīṣma is sinful, arrogant, and old; therefore he is not worthy of forgiveness.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse shows how quickly people may deny forgiveness by labeling an opponent as sinful and arrogant; ethically, it warns that moral judgment driven by resentment can eclipse patience (kṣamā) and careful discernment of dharma.
After Bhīṣma speaks, some powerful warriors react harshly, declaring him unworthy of pardon because they view him as sinful, proud, and old—revealing rising hostility and polarization in the assembly context.