Mahabharata 11.23.20 — Stree Parva, Adhyaya 23, Shloka 20
Gāndhārī’s Battlefield Survey: The Fallen and the Onset of Funeral Rites (शल्य-भगीरथ-भीष्म-द्रोणादि-दर्शनम्)
पालयान: पितु: शास्त्रमूर्ध्वरेता महायशा: । एष शान्तनव: शेते माधवाप्रतिमो युधि
pālayan pituḥ śāstram ūrdhvaretā mahāyaśāḥ | eṣa śāntanavaḥ śete mādhavāpratimo yudhi, mādhava ||
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。「マーダヴァよ。父の命を守り、終生の梵行を貫いた大いなる名声の人——これぞ戦場に比肩なき、シャーンタヌの子ビーシュマが、いまここに横たわっている。」この一句は、父命への服従と誓願による自己抑制の倫理的重みを、体現者が戦場に倒れた今なお際立たせる。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma expressed as steadfast fidelity to a father’s command and the power of lifelong self-restraint (brahmacarya). It suggests that moral greatness is measured not only by martial prowess but by unwavering commitment to vows and duty.
Vaiśaṃpāyana points out Bhīṣma—Śāntanu’s son—now lying fallen after the war. He recalls Bhīṣma’s defining traits: obedience to his father’s injunction and his famed celibate vow, while also noting his unmatched stature as a warrior.
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