Shloka 42
Devanagari script
इतोडप्यधर्मेण हतो भीष्म: परपुरंजय:
Transliteration
ito 'py adharmeṇa hato bhīṣmaḥ parapuraṃjayaḥ
Translation
Dhṛṣṭadyumna said: “Even so, Bhīṣma—conqueror of enemy strongholds—was slain through an unrighteous stratagem.”
Word by Word
itaḥfrom here / than this
itaḥ:
Apadana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootitaḥ
Formindeclinable (ablatival adverb: 'from here/than this')
apialso, even
api:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi
Formindeclinable
adharmeṇaby unrighteousness / unfairly
adharmeṇa:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootadharma
Formmasculine/neuter, instrumental singular
hataḥkilled, slain
hataḥ:
TypeVerb
Roothan
Formpast passive participle, masculine nominative singular
bhīṣmaḥBhishma
bhīṣmaḥ:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootbhīṣma
Formmasculine, nominative singular
para-puraṃ-jayaḥconqueror of enemy cities
para-puraṃ-jayaḥ:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootpara + pura + jaya
Formmasculine, nominative singular
Speaker
धृष्टह्युम्न उवाच
Characters & Entities
ध
धृष्टद्युम्न (Dhṛṣṭadyumna)भ
भीष्म (Bhīṣma)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Cross References
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s ethical tension: even the greatest warrior, celebrated as a conqueror, can be brought down when warfare departs from dharma. It invites reflection on how adharma-based tactics may achieve victory yet stain the moral order and the victors’ conscience.
Dhṛṣṭadyumna comments on Bhīṣma’s death, characterizing it as accomplished through an unrighteous stratagem—an allusion to the circumstances of Bhīṣma’s fall on the battlefield, where conventional norms of fair combat were effectively bypassed.