Shloka 2
अध्याय ४ — भीष्मेन कर्णोत्साहनम्
Bhīṣma’s Encouragement of Karṇa
संजय कहते हैं--राजन्! इस प्रकार बहुत कुछ बोलते हुए कर्णकी बात सुनकर कुरुकुलके वृद्ध पितामह भीष्मने प्रसन्नचित्त होकर देश और कालके अनुसार यह बात कही -- || समुद्र इव सिन्धूनां ज्योतिषामिव भास्कर: । सत्यस्य च यथा सन््तो बीजानामिव चोर्वरा,“कर्ण! जैसे सरिताओंका आश्रय समुद्र, ज्योतिर्मय पदार्थोंका सूर्य, सत्यका साधु पुरुष, बीजोंका उर्वरा भूमि और प्राणियोंकी जीविकाका आधार मेघ है, उसी प्रकार तुम भी अपने सुहृदोंके आश्रयदाता बनो। जैसे देवता सहस्रलोचन इन्द्रका आश्रय लेकर जीवन- निर्वाह करते हैं, उसी प्रकार समस्त बन्धु-बान्धव तुम्हारा आश्रय लेकर जीवन धारण करें
sañjaya uvāca—rājan, evaṃ bahuvidhaṃ bruvataḥ karṇasya vacanaṃ śrutvā kurukulavṛddhaḥ pitāmaho bhīṣmaḥ prasannacitto deśakālānusāreṇa idaṃ vacanam uvāca—samudra iva sindhūnāṃ jyotiṣām iva bhāskaraḥ | satyasya ca yathā santaḥ bījānām iva corvarā ||
Sañjaya said: O King, hearing Karṇa speak at length, the aged grandsire of the Kuru line, Bhīṣma, pleased at heart and speaking in a manner suited to the time and place, said: “Karṇa, as the ocean is the refuge of rivers, as the sun is foremost among luminous bodies, as the righteous are the support of truth, and as fertile earth is the support of seeds—so you too should become the shelter of your well-wishers. Let your kinsmen and allies sustain their lives by relying on you, just as the gods live supported by Indra of a thousand eyes.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma urges Karṇa to embody protective leadership: like the ocean, sun, righteous truth-bearers, and fertile earth, a powerful person should become a dependable refuge for friends and kin. The ethical emphasis is on sustaining others through steadiness, generosity, and responsibility appropriate to the moment.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that after hearing Karṇa’s extended speech, Bhīṣma—pleased and speaking with situational propriety—responds with a series of similes, encouraging Karṇa to serve as the support and shelter of his allies, as the gods rely on Indra.