Shloka 53

Devanagari script

देवव्रतः कृती भीष्म: प्रेक्षितेनापि निर्दहेत्‌ । गम्यतां स वधोपायं प्रष्टं सागरगासुत:,'देवव्रत भीष्म पुण्यात्मा पुरुष हैं। वे दृष्टिपातमात्रसे सबको दग्ध कर सकते हैं; अतः गंगानन्दन भीष्मसे उनके वधका उपाय पूछनेके लिये आप अवश्य उनके पास चलें

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | devavrataḥ kṛtī bhīṣmaḥ prekṣitena api nirdahēt | gamyatāṃ sa vadhopāyaṃ praṣṭuṃ sāgaragāsutaḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Devavrata—Bhīṣma, the capable and accomplished hero—could burn down even those who merely look upon him. Therefore, let us go to him and ask the son of the river (Bhīṣma) about the means by which he may be slain.”

Word by Word

देवव्रतःDevavrata (Bhishma)

कृतीcapable, accomplished

भीष्मःBhishma

प्रेक्षितेनby (his) looking / by a glance

अपिeven, also

निर्दहेत्could burn up / would burn

गम्यताम्let (one) go / one should go

सःhe

वधोपायम्means of killing (him)

प्रष्टुम्to ask

सागरगासुतःson of Sagaraga (i.e., son of Ganga)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Devavrata (Bhīṣma)

Gaṅgā (implied by 'son of the river')

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 the mightiest warrior is not beyond mortality; in dharmic warfare, victory often depends not only on strength but on discerning the rightful and effective means (upāya) within ethical constraints.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya emphasizes Bhīṣma’s overwhelming power—so formidable that even a mere glance is described as destructive—and urges that they approach Bhīṣma himself to learn the method by which he can be brought down.