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 dit : Ensuite, le fils de Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Duryodhana) institua Bhīṣma, selon le rite, commandant en chef, et honora la cérémonie par d’abondants présents. Une fois consacré, Bhīṣma brilla d’un éclat accru — signe extérieur du lourd fardeau qui lui était confié, tandis que la guerre se trouvait désormais ordonnée selon une procédure solennelle.

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.