Shloka 13

भीष्मकृतः पाण्डवपक्ष-महारथ-प्रशंसा

Bhishma’s appraisal of Pandava-aligned chariot-warriors

Devanagari script

भवानर्धरथो महां मतो वै नात्र संशय: । सर्वस्य जगतश्चैव गाड़ेयो न मृषा वदेत्‌,“तुम मेरे विषयमें जो अर्धरथी होनेका मत प्रकट कर रहे हो, इससे सम्पूर्ण जगत्‌को नि:संदेह ऐसा ही प्रतीत होने लगेगा; क्योंकि सब यही जानते हैं कि गंगानन्दन भीष्म झूठ नहीं बोलते

Transliteration

bhavān ardhāratho mahān mato vai nātra saṁśayaḥ | sarvasya jagataś caiva gāṅgeyo na mṛṣā vadet ||

Translation

Karna dit : « Puisque tu as déclaré que je ne suis qu’un “ardharatha”, nul doute que le monde entier le tiendra pour certain. Car tous savent que Bhīṣma, fils de la Gaṅgā, ne profère pas de mensonge. »

Word by Word

• {'bhavān': 'you (honorific)', 'ardhārathaḥ': '‘half-ratha’

• a warrior considered only half as capable (a disparaging rank compared to a full ratha)', 'mahān': 'great

• eminent', 'mataḥ': 'considered

• held to be', 'vai': 'indeed

• surely (emphatic particle)', 'na': 'not', 'atra': 'here

• in this matter', 'saṁśayaḥ': 'doubt', 'sarvasya': 'of all

• of the entire', 'jagataḥ': 'world

• people at large', 'ca': 'and', 'eva': 'indeed

• precisely', 'gāṅgeyaḥ': 'descendant/son of Gaṅgā

• Bhīṣma', 'mṛṣā': 'falsehood

• untruth', 'vadet': 'would speak

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (Gāṅgeya, son of Gaṅgā)
• Gaṅgā

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical power of सत्य (truthfulness): a person known for unwavering truth gains moral authority such that their words shape public certainty. Reputation grounded in सत्य makes speech consequential and socially binding.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma responds to an assessment that labels someone as ‘ardhāratha’ (a lesser warrior). He notes that because he is universally known as truthful (Gāṅgeya does not speak falsehood), any such judgment spoken by him will be accepted by the world as indisputable.