Shloka 62

Devanagari script

गृध्रदृष्टिबकालीन: श्वचेष्ट: सिंहविक्रम: । अनुद्विग्द: काकशड्की भुजड़रितं चरेत्‌,“राजा गीधके समान दूरतक दृष्टि डाले, बगुलेके समान लक्ष्यपर दृष्टि जमाये, कुत्तेके समान चौकन्ना रहे और सिंह के समान पराक्रम प्रकट करे, मनमें उद्धेग को स्थान न दे, कौएकी भाँति सशंक रहकर दूसरोंकी चेष्टा पर ध्यान रक्खे और दूसरेके बिलमें प्रवेश करनेवाले सर्पके समान शत्रुका छिद्र देखकर उसपर आक्रमण करे

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | gṛdhradṛṣṭir bakālīnaḥ śvacēṣṭaḥ siṃhavikramaḥ | anudvignaḥ kākaśaṅkī bhujaṅgaritaṃ caret ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「王たる者は禿鷲のごとく遠くを見通し、鷺のごとく静かに狙いを定め、犬のごとく警戒し、獅子のごとく武勇を示せ。心に動揺を住まわせてはならぬ。烏のように疑い深く用心して他者の動きを見張り、また他の穴に入り込む蛇のように、敵の隙を見いだしてその裂け目から打ち込め。」

Word by Word

गृध्रदृष्टिःhaving vulture-like sight (far-seeing)

बकालीनःlike a crane (fixed on the target)

श्वचेष्टःacting like a dog (alert/watchful)

सिंहविक्रमःhaving lion-like valor

अनुद्विग्नःunagitated, not anxious

काकशङ्कीsuspicious like a crow (cautious)

भुजगःa serpent

अरितम्enemy (as object of action)

चरेत्should act / should conduct himself

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

king (rājā)

vulture (gṛdhra)

crane (baka)

dog (śvan)

lion (siṃha)

crow (kāka)

serpent (bhujaṅga)

enemy (śatru, implied)

burrow/hole (bila, implied)

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?

Bhishma teaches that a ruler must combine foresight, focused attention, vigilance, courage, emotional steadiness, and cautious intelligence—then act decisively by identifying and exploiting an opponent’s weakness, without being driven by agitation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rāja-dharma, Bhishma advises Yudhiṣṭhira on practical qualities of kingship, using animal metaphors to describe how a king should observe, plan, remain alert, and respond to threats.