Shloka 15

Devanagari script

नैतदौपयिकं राजंस्त्वयि भीष्मे च जीवति । यदन्योन्येन ते पुत्रा विरुध्यन्ते कथंचन,महाराज! तुम्हारे और भीष्मके जीते-जी यह उचित नहीं जान पड़ता कि तुम्हारे पुत्र किसी प्रकार आपसमें विरोध करें

Transliteration

naitad aupayikaṃ rājan tvayi bhīṣme ca jīvati | yad anyonyena te putrā virudhyante kathaṃcana ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O King, while you and Bhīṣma are still alive, it does not seem proper or fitting that your sons should, in any manner, fall into mutual opposition. Such discord, under the guardianship of elders, is ethically inappropriate and threatens the order that dharma requires within the royal house.”

Word by Word

नnot

एतत्this

औपयिकम्proper/appropriate

राजन्O king

त्वयिin/while you (are alive/present)

भीष्मेin/while Bhishma (is alive/present)

चand

जीवतिis alive/lives

यत्that (namely that...)

अन्योन्येनwith one another / mutually

तेyour

पुत्राःsons

विरुध्यन्तेoppose/quarrel (with each other)

कथंचनin any way / somehow

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

rājan (the King)

Bhīṣma

the King’s sons (putrāḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse stresses that internal rivalry among princes is adharma when responsible elders are still alive; the presence of senior guardians (the king and Bhīṣma) implies a duty to maintain unity, restraint, and orderly succession rather than factional conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana comments on the impropriety of the king’s sons turning against one another, emphasizing that such hostility should not arise while the king and Bhīṣma—figures of authority and counsel—are still living and able to prevent disorder.