Shloka 45

Devanagari script

सीता नाम नदी राजन्‌ प्लवो यस्यां निमज्जति । तथोपमामिमां मन्ये वागुरां सर्वधातिनीम्‌,राजन! सीता नामसे प्रसिद्ध एक नदी है, जिसमें नाव भी डूब जाती है, वैसी ही यहाँकी राजनीति भी है (इसमें मेरे जैसे सहायकोंके भी डूब जानेकी आशडूका है)। मैं तो इसे समस्त प्राणियोंका विनाश करनेवाली फाँसी ही समझता हूँ

Transliteration

sītā nāma nadī rājan plavo yasyāṁ nimajjati | tathopamām imāṁ manye vāgurāṁ sarvadhātinīm ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「王よ、シーターという名の川があり、そこでは舟でさえ沈むという。政治の営みもまたそれに似ている——万物を呑み込む罠である。助けようとし、舵を取ろうとする者すら溺れさせる。私には、それは一切衆生に破滅をもたらす絞首の縄のように思われる。」

Word by Word

सीताSītā (name of the river)

नामby name / named

नदीriver

राजन्O king

प्लवःboat / raft

यस्याम्in which

निमज्जतिsinks

तथाthus / similarly

उपमाम्comparison / simile

इमाम्this

मन्येI think / consider

वागुराम्snare / noose / trap

सर्वधातिनीम्destroying all beings (lit. all-supporting/holding; here: all-consuming)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

rājan (the king, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira in context)

Sītā (river)

plava (boat/raft)

vāgurā (snare/noose)

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 warns that political power and statecraft can become an all-consuming trap: even capable helpers may be overwhelmed. Therefore a ruler must approach governance with vigilance, restraint, and ethical clarity, recognizing how easily policy and intrigue can lead to harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhishma addresses the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) and uses a vivid simile: just as a perilous river can sink even a boat, so the realm of politics can drown those engaged in it. He frames governance as morally hazardous if not handled with dharma.