Shloka 53

Devanagari script

हुताशनसमानेतान्‌ महारूपान्‌ महौजस: । उग्रकायान्‌ महासतत्त्वान्‌ कीर्तयेत्‌ कीर्तिवर्धनान्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | hutāśana-samān etān mahā-rūpān mahaujasāḥ | ugra-kāyān mahā-sattvān kīrtayet kīrti-vardhanān |

Translation

ഭീഷ്മൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഇവരെല്ലാം ഹുതാശനൻ (അഗ്നി) പോലെ ദീപ്തിമാന്മാർ, അത്യന്തം രൂപവാന്മാർ, മഹാഔജസ്വികൾ, ഉഗ്രകായന്മാർ, മഹാസത്ത്വന്മാർ (പരമധീരർ) ആയിരുന്നു; കൂടാതെ കീർത്തിവർധകരുമായിരുന്നു. ഇവരെ കീർത്തിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• हुताशन-समाः: equal to fire (in brilliance)
• हुताशन-समाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हुताशनसम (प्रातिपदिक; हुताशन + सम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• एतान्: these
• एतान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• महा-रूपान्: of great form/very handsome
• महा-रूपान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महारूप (प्रातिपदिक; महा + रूप)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• महा-ओजसः: of great vigor/might
• महा-ओजसः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महौजस् (प्रातिपदिक; महत् + ओजस्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• उग्र-कायान्: having fierce bodies
• उग्र-कायान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्रकाय (प्रातिपदिक; उग्र + काय)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• महा-सत्त्वान्: of great courage/strength (great beings)
• महा-सत्त्वान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महासत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक; महा + सत्त्व)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• कीर्तयेत्: should praise/recite
• कीर्तयेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु; √कीर्तय्/कीर्त् caus.)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कीर्ति-वर्धनान्: fame-increasing
• कीर्ति-वर्धनान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीर्तिवर्धन (प्रातिपदिक; कीर्ति + वर्धन)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Agni (Hutashana)
• kings (rājānaḥ, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma emphasizes the ethical value of remembering and reciting the names and qualities of noble persons: such kīrtana is held to uplift the listener, strengthen admiration for virtue (courage, vigor, steadfastness), and thereby ‘increase fame’—both by association with noble exemplars and by cultivating one’s own character.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma is instructing Yudhishthira on dharma and exemplary conduct. Here he describes a group of kings as radiant like fire and endowed with heroic qualities, and he recommends that their deeds/names be commemorated—continuing a catalog-like praise meant to inspire and instruct.