Shloka 8

भीष्मभीमसमागमः — Bhīṣma–Bhīma Strategic Engagement and Counsel to the King

Devanagari script

अवश्यं हि मया राजंस्तव वाच्यं हितं सदा । अशक्या: पाण्डवा जेतुं देवेरपि सवासवै:,“राजन! मुझे सदा तुम्हारे हितकी बात अवश्य कहनी चाहिये; इसीलिये कहता हूँ-- पाण्डवोंको इन्द्र-सहित सम्पूर्ण देवता भी जीत नहीं सकते

Transliteration

avaśyaṃ hi mayā rājan tava vācyaṃ hitaṃ sadā | aśakyāḥ pāṇḍavā jetuṃ devair api savāsavaiḥ ||

Translation

ರಾಜನೇ, ನಿನ್ನ ಹಿತಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಸತ್ಯವಾದ ಮಾತನ್ನು ನಾನು ಸದಾ ಹೇಳಲೇಬೇಕು. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟವಾಗಿ ಹೇಳುತ್ತೇನೆ—ಇಂದ್ರನೊಡನೆ ದೇವರೂ ಪಾಂಡವರನ್ನು ಜಯಿಸಲು ಅಸಮರ್ಥರು.

Word by Word

अवश्यम्certainly, necessarily

हिindeed, for

मयाby me

राजन्O king

तवof you, your

वाच्यम्to be said (must be said)

हितम्what is beneficial, welfare

सदाalways

अशक्याःimpossible (to be ...), not possible

पाण्डवाःthe Pandavas

जेतुम्to conquer

देवैःby the gods

अपिeven, also

सवासवैःtogether with Indra (Vasava)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Pāṇḍavas

Devas

Indra (Vāsava)

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?

A counselor’s duty is to speak beneficial truth to a ruler, even when it is unwelcome; ethical governance requires hearing hard realities rather than clinging to hope or partiality.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya addresses Dhṛtarāṣṭra and warns him that the Pāṇḍavas are beyond defeat—even by divine forces—implying the Kaurava cause is doomed and urging the king to recognize the moral and practical consequences.