Shloka 40

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ११०: पार्थभीमयोः प्रहारः तथा भीष्माभिमुखं संग्रामविस्तारः

Arjuna and Bhima’s pressure; escalation toward Bhishma

Devanagari script

विपरीतो महावीरयों गतसत्त्वोडल्पजीवन: । भीष्म: शान्तनवो नून॑ कर्तव्यं नावबुध्यते,“महापराक्रमी शान्तनुनन्दन भीष्म तो हमारे विपरीत पक्षका आश्रय लेनेवाले और बलहीन हैं। इनके जीवनके दिन अब बहुत थोड़े रह गये हैं, तथापि यह निश्चितरूपसे कहा जा सकता है कि वे अपने कर्तव्यको नहीं समझ रहे हैं!

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

viparīto mahāvīryo gata-sattvo 'lpa-jīvanaḥ |

bhīṣmaḥ śāntanavo nūnaṁ kartavyaṁ nāvabudhyate ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Bhīṣma, the mighty son of Śāntanu, has turned to the opposing side; his strength is spent and his remaining life is short. Yet it seems certain that he no longer understands what duty requires.”

Word by Word

विपरीतःopposed, on the opposite side

महावीर्यःof great prowess

गतसत्त्वःwhose strength/spirit has gone; enfeebled

अल्पजीवनःhaving little life remaining; short-lived (now)

भीष्मःBhishma

शान्तनवःson of Shantanu

नूनम्surely, indeed

कर्तव्यम्what ought to be done; duty

नnot

अवबुध्यतेunderstands, realizes

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīṣma

Śāntanu

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?

The verse highlights the ethical tension between personal allegiance and true dharma: even a renowned hero may be judged as failing in duty when loyalty to a side appears to override what is morally required.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a harsh assessment of Bhīṣma: despite his famed valor, he is portrayed as having sided with the opponents, weakened by age, nearing death, and seemingly not acting in accordance with what duty demands in the unfolding war.