Shloka 40

भीष्मकृतः पाण्डवपक्ष-महारथ-प्रशंसा

Bhishma’s appraisal of Pandava-aligned chariot-warriors

Devanagari script

चिन्त्यतामिदमेकाग्रं मम नि:श्रेयसं परम्‌ | उभावपि भवन्तौ मे महत्‌ कर्म करिष्यत:,“आप एकाग्रचित्त होकर मेरे परम कल्याणकी बात सोचिये। आप और कर्ण दोनों ही मेरा महान्‌ कार्य सिद्ध करेंगे

Transliteration

cintyātām idam ekāgraṃ mama niḥśreyasaṃ param | ubhāv api bhavantau me mahat karma kariṣyataḥ ||

Translation

Dijo Bhīṣma: «Reflexiona en esto con la mente fija—en lo que considero mi bien supremo. Tú y Karṇa, ambos, llevaréis a cabo por mí una tarea grande y grave».

Word by Word

• चिन्त्यताम्: let it be thought/considered
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थे), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम, एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एकाग्रम्: with single-pointed (focus)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकाग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मम: of me / my
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• नि:श्रेयसम्: highest good, welfare
• नि:श्रेयसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नि:श्रेयस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परम्: supreme, highest
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)

• भवन्तौ: you two (honorific)
• भवन्तौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• महत्: great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कर्म: deed, task
• कर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• करिष्यथः: you two will do/perform
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), परस्मैपद, मध्यम, द्विवचन

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Karṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma urges disciplined, single-pointed reflection on the ‘highest good’ (niḥśreyasa), implying that ethical clarity and inner resolve should precede decisive action; great deeds should be grounded in considered welfare, not impulse.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Bhīṣma addresses two interlocutors (one explicitly Karṇa), asking them to concentrate on what he deems his supreme welfare and indicating that both will play a crucial role in fulfilling an important objective connected with him.