Shloka 56

Tapas, Tīrtha, and Moral Rehabilitation (Śānti-parva 148)

Devanagari script

उपदिष्टो हि मे धर्म: कपोतेन महात्मना । “अब मैं पापसे मुह मोड़कर स्त्री, पुत्र तथा अपने प्यारे प्राणोंका भी परित्याग कर दूँगा। महात्मा कबूतरने मुझे विशुद्ध धर्मका उपदेश दिया है

Transliteration

upadiṣṭo hi me dharmaḥ kapotena mahātmanā |

Translation

ભીષ્મ બોલ્યા—“મહાત્મા કબૂતરે મને વિશુદ્ધ ધર્મનો ઉપદેશ આપ્યો છે. પાપથી મુખ ફેરવી હું પત્ની, પુત્ર તથા પોતાના પ્રિય પ્રાણોનો પણ પરિત્યાગ કરી દઈશ.”

Word by Word

उपदिष्टःtaught/instructed

हिindeed/for

मेto me / my

धर्मःdharma; righteous duty

कपोतेनby the pigeon/dove

महात्मनाby the great-souled (one)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Kapota (the pigeon/dove)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is to be upheld even at the cost of one’s dearest attachments—family and even one’s own life; true righteousness is measured by willingness to sacrifice for what is right.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma recalls receiving instruction on pure dharma from the example/teaching of a noble pigeon, and he expresses a resolve to turn away from sin and accept extreme renunciation if dharma requires it.