Shloka 23

Devanagari script

हतविप्रा हतारक्षा प्रणष्टौषधिसंचया । सर्वभूतरुतप्राया बभूव वसुधा तदा,ब्राह्मण नष्ट हो गये थे। रक्षकवृन्दका भी विनाश हो गया था, ओषधियोंके समूह (अनाज और फल आदि) भी नष्ट हो गये थे, वसुधापर सब ओर समस्त प्राणियोंका हाहाकार व्याप्त हो रहा था

Transliteration

hataviprā hatārakṣā praṇaṣṭauṣadhi-saṃcayā | sarvabhūta-ruta-prāyā babhūva vasudhā tadā ||

Translation

ພີດສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ໃນເວລານັ້ນ ພຣາຫມັນຖືກຂ້າ ຜູ້ປົກປ້ອງແລະຜູ້ຄຸ້ມຄອງຖືກທໍາລາຍ ແລະຄັງຢາສົມຸນໄພກັບເສບຽງອາຫານກໍຖືກກວາດລ້າງໝົດ. ແຜ່ນດິນໃນຕອນນັ້ນເຕັມໄປທົ່ວທິດດ້ວຍສຽງຮ້ອງໄຫ້ແລະຄໍາຄວນຄາຍຂອງສັດມີຊີວິດ»។

Word by Word

हतslain/destroyed

विप्राःBrahmins

हतslain/destroyed

रक्षाःprotections/guards (protective forces)

प्रणष्टperished/lost

औषधि-संचयाःstores/collections of herbs (medicinal plants, produce)

सर्व-भूत-रुत-प्रायाःfilled with the cries of all beings

बभूवbecame/was

वसुधाthe earth

तदाthen/at that time

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Brahmins (viprāḥ)

Protectors/guards (rakṣāḥ)

Medicinal herbs/provisions (auṣadhi-saṃcaya)

Earth (vasudhā)

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?

The verse highlights the ethical consequence of adharma: when those who uphold knowledge and ritual order (vipras) and those who provide protection (rakshas) are destroyed, even basic life-supporting resources (auṣadhi and stores) collapse, and society descends into universal suffering. It implies a ruler’s dharma is to safeguard the learned, ensure protection, and preserve resources essential for life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is describing a time of severe disorder and calamity: Brahmins have been killed, the protective establishment has been wiped out, medicinal plants and stored provisions have perished, and the earth is dominated by the cries of distressed beings—an image of widespread ruin and lamentation.