Shloka 10

Devanagari script

न हि वैरं महात्मानो विवृण्वन्त्यपकारिषु । शनै: शनैर्महाराज दर्शयन्ति सम ते बलम्‌,महाराज! महामनस्वी पुरुष अपनी बुराई करने-वालोंपर वैरभाव नहीं प्रकट करते हैं। वे धीरे-धीरे ही अपना बल दिखाते हैं

Transliteration

na hi vairaṁ mahātmāno vivṛṇvanty apakāriṣu | śanaiḥ śanair mahārāja darśayanti sama te balam ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “Truly, great-souled men do not openly display enmity toward those who wrong them. O King, they reveal their strength only gradually—at the proper time—maintaining composure and restraint.”

Word by Word

नnot

हिindeed/for

वैindeed/just

वैरम्enmity/hostility

महात्मानःgreat-souled men

विवृण्वन्तिdisplay/reveal

अपकारिषुtowards wrongdoers (those who do harm)

शनैःslowly/gradually

महाराजO great king

दर्शयन्तिshow/manifest

सम्fully/together (prefix-like adverb)

तेyour

बलम्strength/power

महाराजO great king

Speaker

भीष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Mahārāja (the king, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira as addressee)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Noble people do not rush to display hatred or vengeance when harmed; they remain composed and reveal their power with patience and discernment, acting at the right time rather than from impulsive anger.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to the king, Bhishma counsels the ruler on ethical and strategic conduct: how a great person responds to injury—without overt hostility, but with controlled, gradual assertion of strength.