Shloka 19

Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā

Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative

Devanagari script

मुहूर्तमपि राजेन्द्र तिन्दुकालातवज्ज्वलेत्‌ । न तुषाग्निरिवानर्चिर्धूमायेत चिरं नर:

Transliteration

muhūrtam api rājendra tindukālātavac jvalet | na tuṣāgnir ivānarcir dhūmāyet ciraṃ naraḥ ||

Translation

ភីṣ្មៈបានមានព្រះវាចា៖ ឱ ព្រះរាជា! ទោះបីត្រឹមមួយភ្លែតក៏ដោយ មនុស្សគួរត្រូវឆេះរលោងដូចភ្លើងពិលធ្វើពីឈើទិន្ទុក—បង្ហាញវីរភាពដ៏ខ្លាំងក្លានៅមុខសត្រូវ។ កុំឲ្យយូរអង្វែងដូចភ្លើងសំបកស្រូវ ដែលគ្មានអណ្តាតភ្លើង មានតែផ្សែង—បង្ហាញតែសមត្ថភាពទន់ខ្សោយ។

Word by Word

• {'muhūrtam': 'a short time

• a moment (traditionally a fixed time-unit, here ‘briefly’)', 'api': 'even

• also', 'rājendra': 'O best of kings

• O king (vocative)', 'tinduka': 'the tinduka tree (Diospyros species)

• its wood used as fuel/torch', 'kāṣṭha': 'wood

• timber', 'vat': 'like

• as', 'jvalet': 'should blaze

• should burn brightly (optative, prescriptive)', 'na': 'not', 'tuṣa': 'chaff

• husk', 'agni': 'fire', 'iva': 'like

• as if', 'anarcis': 'without flame

• flameless (a- + arcis ‘flame’)', 'dhūmāyet': 'should smoke

• should emit smoke (optative)', 'ciram': 'for a long time', 'naraḥ': 'a man

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• rājendra (the king addressed, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira in Śānti Parva context)
• tinduka-wood torch
• chaff-fire (tuṣāgni)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma teaches that true prowess should be decisive and luminous: better to blaze with effective courage even briefly than to linger in weak, smoky effort that lacks real impact. The ethical point is to avoid prolonged half-measures and to act with clear, forceful resolve when duty demands.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) on righteous conduct and statecraft. Here he uses two vivid images—tinduka-wood torch versus chaff-fire—to counsel how a man, especially a ruler/warrior, should manifest strength before enemies: with visible, effective power rather than ineffectual display.