Shloka 11

भीष्म-पर्व अध्याय १०० — त्रिगर्त-आक्रमण, भीष्म-केन्द्रित पुनर्संयोजन, तथा शक्त्यस्त्र-विनिमय

Devanagari script

अभिमानी रणे भीष्मो नित्यं चापि रणप्रिय: । स कथं पाण्डवान्‌ युद्धे जेष्यते तात संगतान्‌,तात! भीष्म युद्धमें अभिमान रखनेवाले तथा सदा युद्धको प्रिय माननेवाले हैं; तथापि पाण्डवोंपर दया रखनेके कारण वे उन सबको संग्राममें कैसे जीत सकेंगे?

Transliteration

abhimānī raṇe bhīṣmo nityaṃ cāpi raṇapriyaḥ | sa kathaṃ pāṇḍavān yuddhe jeṣyate tāta saṅgatān ||

Translation

Karna said: “Bhishma is proud in battle and ever fond of warfare. Yet, since his heart is inclined with compassion toward the Pandavas, how will he be able to defeat them when they stand united in war, dear one?”

Word by Word

अभिमानीproud, self-esteeming

रणेin battle

भीष्मःBhishma

नित्यम्always

चand

अपिalso, even

रणप्रियःfond of battle

सःhe

कथम्how

पाण्डवान्the Pandavas

युद्धेin war

जेष्यतेwill conquer

तातO dear one / O son

संगतान्assembled, united (together)

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

Bhishma

Pandavas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even a warrior famed for valor may be restrained by personal affection and compassion; inner loyalties can limit outward power, raising an ethical tension between duty in war and tenderness toward kin.

What is happening in the narrative?

Karna comments on Bhishma’s nature: though Bhishma is a battle-loving, proud fighter, Karna doubts he can truly defeat the Pandavas because Bhishma is emotionally inclined toward them, especially when they fight together.