Shloka 16

भीष्म–जामदग्न्यसंवादः (Amba-prasaṅga and Kurukṣetra Dvandva Declaration) / Bhishma–Jamadagnya Dialogue

Devanagari script

शपेयं त्वां न चेदेवमागच्छेथा विशाम्पते । युध्यस्व त्वं रणे यत्तो धैर्यमालम्ब्य कौरव

Transliteration

śapeyaṃ tvāṃ na ced evam āgacchethā viśāmpate | yudhyasva tvaṃ raṇe yatto dhairyam ālambya kaurava ||

Translation

Wahai penguasa rakyat, seandainya engkau tidak datang kepadaku dengan cara seperti ini, niscaya aku akan menjatuhkan kutuk kepadamu. Maka, wahai Kaurava, berpeganglah pada keteguhan hati dan bertempurlah dengan segenap upaya di medan laga.

Word by Word

• शपेयं: I would curse
• शपेयं: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-linga, Potential/Optative, 1, Singular, Parasmaipada

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• चेत्: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत्

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• आगच्छेथाः: you should come / would come
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-linga, Potential/Optative, 2, Singular, Parasmaipada

• विशाम्: of the people/subjects
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश् (प्रातिपदिक: विश्/विष् ‘people, subjects’)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• पते: O lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• युध्यस्व: fight!
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध् (धातु)
• Form: Lot, Imperative, 2, Singular, Atmanepada

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• यत्तः: striving, exerting oneself
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यत (कृदन्त/विशेषण ‘striving’)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धैर्यम्: steadfastness, courage
• धैर्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धैर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आलम्ब्य: having relied on / taking support of
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + लम्ब् (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), —

• कौरव: O Kaurava
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (speaker)
• Kaurava (addressed person; a Kuru-descendant)
• battlefield (raṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler or warrior must not shrink from rightful duty: one should rely on dhairya (steadfast courage) and act with full effort in a just battle, even when admonished or pressured.

What is happening in the narrative?

Rāma addresses a Kaurava king/warrior, stating that failure to approach him properly would have invited a curse; instead, he urges the addressee to stand firm and fight energetically in the battlefield.