Shloka 26

Rukmī’s Offer of Aid and Arjuna’s Refusal (रुक्मिप्रस्तावः—अर्जुनप्रत्याख्यानम्)

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच ततः सेनापतिं चक्रे विधिवद्‌ भूरिदक्षिणम्‌ । धृतराष्ट्रात्मजो भीष्म सोडभिषिक्तो व्यरोचत,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! तदनन्तर धृतराष्ट्रपुत्र दुर्योधनने प्रचुर दक्षिणा देनेवाले भीष्मजीका प्रधान सेनापतिके पदपर विधिपूर्वक अभिषेक किया। अभिषेक हो जानेपर उनकी बड़ी शोभा हुई

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca tataḥ senāpatiṁ cakre vidhivad bhūridakṣiṇam | dhṛtarāṣṭrātmajo bhīṣmaṁ so 'bhiṣikto vyarocat ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Thereafter, Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son (Duryodhana) duly appointed Bhīṣma as commander-in-chief, honoring the rite with abundant gifts. Once consecrated, Bhīṣma shone with heightened splendor—an outward sign of the grave responsibility now placed upon him as war becomes formally organized under solemn procedure.

Word by Word

• {'tataḥ': 'then, thereafter', 'senāpatiṁ': 'commander-in-chief

• leader of the army', 'cakre': 'made, appointed', 'vidhivat': 'according to rule/rite

• duly, in proper form', 'bhūri-dakṣiṇam': 'with abundant dakṣiṇā

• accompanied by lavish gifts/fees to officiants', 'dhṛtarāṣṭra-ātmajaḥ': 'son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra (i.e., Duryodhana)', 'bhīṣmam': 'Bhīṣma', 'abhiṣiktaḥ': 'consecrated, anointed (installed in office)', 'vyarocat': 'shone forth

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Janamejaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Duryodhana
• Bhīṣma
• senāpati (office of commander-in-chief)
• abhiṣeka (consecration/anointing rite)
• dakṣiṇā (ritual gifts)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how power and war are often formalized through proper rites and public legitimacy (vidhivat, abhiṣeka), yet ethical weight remains: a righteous elder like Bhīṣma can be placed in command by an unrighteous claimant, showing the tension between procedural dharma (correct ritual/office) and moral dharma (just cause).

What is happening in the narrative?

After preparations for conflict, Duryodhana formally installs Bhīṣma as the Kaurava commander-in-chief, performing the consecration according to prescribed rites and distributing abundant gifts; once anointed, Bhīṣma appears resplendent in his new martial authority.