Shloka 37

उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः

Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment

Devanagari script

मनुष्यापसदा होते ये भवन्ति पराड्मुखा: । राशिवर्धनमात्रास्ते नैव ते प्रेत्य नो इह,जो लोग युद्धमें पीठ दिखाते हैं, वे मनुष्योंमें अधम हैं; केवल योद्धाओंकी संख्या बढ़ानेवाले हैं। उन्हें इहलोक या परलोकमें कहीं भी सुख नहीं मिलता

Transliteration

manuṣyāpasadā hote ye bhavanti parāṅmukhāḥ | rāśivardhanamātrās te naiva te pretya no iha ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「戦場で背を向ける者は、人のうち最も卑しき者となる。彼らは軍勢の数を増やすだけで、真の勇武も守護ももたらさない。そのような者は、この世でも死後の世でも幸福を得ない。決定の瞬間にダルマ（義務）を捨て去るからである。」

Word by Word

मनुष्यापसदाःthe lowest among men, human wretches

होतेbecome/are

येwho

भवन्तिbecome/are

पराङ्मुखाःturned away; facing away (showing the back)

राशिवर्धनमात्राःmere increasers of the tally/heap (only adding to the count)

तेthey

नnot

एवindeed/just

तेthey

प्रेत्यhaving died; after death

नnot

उindeed/also (emphatic particle)

इहhere (in this world)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that abandoning one’s duty in battle by turning one’s back is a grave ethical failure. Such a person is condemned as the lowest among men, because he contributes nothing but numbers and forfeits honor and well-being both in this life and after death.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, Bhishma is advising about the standards expected of warriors. He censures those who flee from battle, framing it as a betrayal of responsibility and a cause of suffering in both worlds.