Shloka 18

Devanagari script

समेत्य तास्ततश्चक्करु: समयानिति न: श्रुतम्‌ । वाक्शूरो दण्डपरुषो यश्च स्यात्‌ पारजायिक:

Transliteration

sametya tāstataścakruḥ samayān iti naḥ śrutam | vākśūro daṇḍaparuṣo yaś ca syāt pārājayikaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “We have heard that, after assembling together, they then made mutual agreements. But one who is merely brave in speech, harsh in punishment, and inclined to defeat others is unfit for such concord.”

Word by Word

• समेत्य: having assembled/meeting together
• समेत्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• ताः: them (f.)
• ताः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• चक्रुः: they made/did
• चक्रुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• समयान्: agreements/compacts
• समयान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• इति: thus/so (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)

• नः: of us/our
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive, Plural

• श्रुतम्: has been heard (by us)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वाक्शूरः: brave in speech/eloquent (lit. speech-hero)
• वाक्शूरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाक्शूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दण्डपरुषः: harsh with punishment/rod; severe
• दण्डपरुषः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दण्डपरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• स्यात्: would be/might be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पारजायिकः: one who causes defeat/overcomes (a defeater)
• पारजायिकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पारजायिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Lasting agreements (samaya) require restraint and integrity; mere verbal bravado and punitive harshness, driven by a desire to defeat others, undermines concord and righteous governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma reports a traditional account: after gathering, a group established mutual compacts; he then cautions that a person who is only bold in speech and severe in punishment, aiming at others’ defeat, is unsuitable for maintaining such agreements.