Shloka 4

जनकस्य युद्धोपदेशः — Janaka’s Instruction on Steadfast Battle-Conduct

Devanagari script

अभीरूणामिमे लोका भास्वन्तो हन्त पश्यत । पूर्णा गन्धर्वकन्याभि: सर्वकामदुहो$क्षया:

Transliteration

abhīrūṇām ime lokā bhāsvanto hanta paśyata | pūrṇā gandharvakanyābhiḥ sarvakāmaduhokṣayāḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “Behold—see these radiant worlds. They are attained by heroes who fight without fear. These imperishable realms are filled with Gandharva maidens and grant the fulfillment of every desire.”

Word by Word

• {'abhīrūṇām': 'of the fearless

• of those without timidity (especially in battle)', 'ime lokāḥ': 'these worlds/realms', 'bhāsvantaḥ': 'shining, radiant', 'hanta': 'an exclamation: ‘indeed!’, ‘lo!’, ‘behold!’', 'paśyata': 'see! behold! (imperative, plural)', 'pūrṇāḥ': 'filled, full', 'gandharva-kanyābhiḥ': 'with Gandharva maidens (celestial nymphs/attendants of heavenly music)', 'sarva-kāma-duhaḥ': 'yielding all desires

• granting every wished-for enjoyment', 'akṣayāḥ': 'imperishable, inexhaustible'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• lokāḥ (radiant worlds/realms)
• gandharvakanyāḥ (Gandharva maidens)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Fearless performance of one’s warrior-duty is presented as dharmic conduct that leads to exalted, imperishable realms—depicting courage and steadfastness as ethically consequential.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is describing to his listener the luminous worlds attained by brave, unflinching fighters, portraying them as heavenly, inexhaustible realms filled with celestial maidens and capable of fulfilling all desires.