Shloka 14

Devanagari script

एतैश्वान्यैश्व बहुभिग्ुणैर्युक्तान्‌ कर्थं कपान्‌ | विजेष्यथ निवर्तथ्व॑ निवृत्तानां सुखं हि व:

Transliteration

etaiś cānyaiś ca bahubhir guṇair yuktān kathaṃ kapān | vijeṣyatha nivartadhvaṃ nivṛttānāṃ sukhaṃ hi vaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Comment pourriez-vous espérer vaincre les Kapas, pourvus de ces vertus et de bien d’autres encore ? Revenez de cette entreprise détestable ; car c’est dans la retenue et le retrait que résident votre véritable bien et votre bonheur.»

Word by Word

• एतैः: by these
• एतैः: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अन्यैः: by other
• अन्यैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• बहुभिः: by many
• बहुभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• गुणैः: by virtues/qualities
• गुणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• युक्तान्: endowed/possessed (with)
• युक्तान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• कथम्: how/why
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• कपान्: the Kapa(s) (name of demons)
• कपान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• विजेष्यथ: will you conquer/defeat
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि
• Form: Simple Future (लृट्), Second, Plural, Parasmaipada, वि-

• निवर्तध्वम्: turn back/withdraw; desist
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), Second, Plural, Ātmanepada, नि-

• निवृत्तानाम्: of those who have desisted/withdrawn
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-वृत्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural, क्त (past participle)

• सुखम्: happiness/comfort
• सुखम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• वः: to you / for you
• वः: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Dative/Genitive, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Kapas (a group of dānavas/daityas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that ethical discernment includes knowing when not to fight: withdrawing from an improper or needless conflict is itself a source of welfare, and true happiness comes from restraint rather than stubborn pursuit of victory.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma addresses his listeners and discourages them from attempting to defeat the Kapas, describing them as richly endowed with virtues and urging the audience to abandon the undesirable enterprise and choose withdrawal for their own good.