Shloka 8

Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Dharmic Rule (भीष्मोक्त-युधिष्ठिर-राजधर्म-प्रशंसा)

Devanagari script

यथावत्‌ पाण्जुपुत्राणां सर्वार्थेषु धृतात्मनाम्‌ । दुर्जेया: खलु शूरास्ते दुरापास्तपसा वृता:,“इस समय जो कुछ करना है, वह खूब सोच-विचारकर शीघ्र किया जाना चाहिये। इसमें विलम्ब करना ठीक नहीं है। सभी विषयोंमें धैर्य रखनेवाले उन पाण्डवोंके निवास- स्थानका ही ठीक-ठीक पता लगाना चाहिये। वे सभी शूरवीर और तपस्यासे आवृत हैं, अतः उन्हें पाना कठिन है। पा लेनेपर भी उन्हें पहचानना तो और भी कठिन है

Transliteration

yathāvat pāṇḍuputrāṇāṃ sarvārtheṣu dhṛtātmanām | durjeyāḥ khalu śūrās te durāpās tapasā vṛtāḥ ||

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。「しかるべく思案したのち、遅滞なく速やかに事を運べ。あらゆる企てにおいて心堅きパーンダヴァの王子たちの真の所在を、正確に突き止めねばならぬ。あの英雄たちはまことに征服しがたく、タパス（苦行の規律）に覆われているゆえ近づき難い（たとえ見つけても、なお見分け難い）。」

Word by Word

यथावत्properly, duly, as it should be

पाण्डुपुत्राणाम्of the sons of Pāṇḍu (the Pāṇḍavas)

सर्वार्थेषुin all matters/purposes

धृतात्मनाम्of the self-controlled/steadfast-minded (ones)

दुर्जेयाःhard to conquer

खलुindeed, surely

शूराःheroes, valiant men

तेthey/those

दुरापाःhard to obtain/reach

तपसाby austerity/penance

वृताःcovered, enveloped, surrounded

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Pāṇḍavas

Pāṇḍu

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?

Act with timely, well-considered urgency: delay can ruin objectives. At the same time, recognize that inner discipline (tapas) and self-mastery (dhṛtātman) make the righteous formidable and difficult to subdue or even locate—an ethical reminder that strength is not only physical but also moral and ascetic.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Virāṭa Parva context, the Pāṇḍavas are living incognito. The speaker underscores the need to quickly and carefully determine their exact whereabouts, noting that these heroes—protected by their discipline and resolve—are not easily found or overcome, and may be hard to recognize even if encountered.