Shloka 120

Devanagari script

क्षत्रं चान्ये5भ्यनिन्दन्त भीष्म चान्ये3भ्यपूजयन्‌ । ऋषय: पितरश्रैव प्रशशंसुर्महाव्रतम्‌

Transliteration

kṣatraṃ cānye ’bhyanindanta bhīṣmaṃ cānye ’bhyapūjayan | ṛṣayaḥ pitarāś caiva praśaśaṃsur mahāvratam ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Les uns blâmaient la loi du guerrier, tandis que d’autres rendaient hommage à Bhīṣma. Les rishis et les Pères ancestraux l’exaltèrent pareillement, Bhīṣma, grand gardien des vœux—louant la constance de sa discipline de toute une vie, jusque dans le trouble moral de la guerre.

Word by Word

• क्षत्रम्: kshatriya-hood; the warrior order/duty
• क्षत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अभ्यनिन्दन्: censured, blamed
• Type: Verb
• Root: निन्द्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• भीष्मम्: Bhishma
• भीष्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अभ्यपूजयन्: honoured, praised, worshipped
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पितरः: manes, forefathers
• पितरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• एव: indeed, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• प्रशशंसुः: praised
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• महाव्रतम्: the great-vowed (one)
• महाव्रतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाव्रत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Ṛṣis
• Pitṛs

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how dharma is contested in times of conflict: public opinion may condemn or celebrate, but the testimony of sages and ancestors upholds the ethical weight of steadfast vows and disciplined conduct, embodied here by Bhīṣma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports mixed reactions around the events of the war: some denounce the kṣatriya path and its violence, while others revere Bhīṣma; meanwhile Ṛṣis and Pitṛs specifically praise Bhīṣma as a great vow-keeper.