Shloka 18

Abhimanyu’s Assault on Bhīṣma’s Screen; Banner-Felling and Reinforcements (सौभद्र-भीष्म-समरः)

Devanagari script

१७ ।। सम्बन्ध-- अब राजय तपके लक्षण बतलाये जाते हैं-- सत्कारमानपूजार्थ तपो दम्भेनः चैव यत्‌ । क्रियते तदिह प्रोक्ते राजसं चलमपश्चुवम्‌र,जो तप सत्कार, मान और पूजाके लिये तथा अन्य किसी स्वार्थके लिये भी३ स्वभावसे या पाखण्डसे किया जाता है, वह अनिश्चित एवं क्षणिक फलवाला तप यहाँ राजस कहा गया है

Transliteration

satkāra-māna-pūjārthaṁ tapo dambhena caiva yat | kriyate tad iha proktaṁ rājasaṁ calam adhruvam ||

Translation

アルジュナは言った。世の称賛、自己の名誉、崇拝を得るために、しかも偽りと見せかけをもって行われる苦行は、ここにラジャス（rājasa）と説かれる。その修行は不安定で、得られる果も長くは続かない。倫理的には、誠実さと内なる自制ではなく、我執と世間への誇示に動かされるとき、霊的規律は浄化の力を失うと戒める。

Word by Word

सत्कारमानपूजार्थम्for the sake of honor, respect, and worship

तपःausterity

दम्भेनwith hypocrisy/ostentation

चand

एवindeed/only

यत्which (austerity)

क्रियतेis done/performed

तत्that

इहhere (in this teaching/context)

प्रोक्तम्is said/declared

राजसम्rajasic (of rajas)

चलम्unstable/variable

अध्रुवम्non-permanent/uncertain

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Austerity becomes rājasa when it is motivated by ego—seeking honor, prestige, and worship—and is performed with hypocrisy. Because its motive is external recognition rather than inner purification, its fruits are unstable and impermanent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within the Bhīṣma Parva’s doctrinal discourse, the speaker classifies types of tapas according to the guṇas. This verse specifically defines rājasa austerity by its social-display motive (satkāra, māna, pūjā) and by the presence of dambha (pretence).