Shloka 41

“यत: कृष्णस्ततो धर्मो” यतो धर्मस्ततो जय: । वासुदेवेन तीर्थेन पुत्र संशाम्य पाण्डवै:

yataḥ kṛṣṇas tato dharmo yato dharmas tato jayaḥ | vāsudevena tīrthena putra saṁśāmya pāṇḍavāḥ ||

ഭീഷ്മൻ പറഞ്ഞു—“കൃഷ്ണൻ എവിടെയുണ്ടോ അവിടെയാണ് ധർമ്മം; ധർമ്മം എവിടെയുണ്ടോ അവിടെയാണ് ജയം.” അതിനാൽ, മകനേ! വാസുദേവന്റെ പവിത്രാശ്രയം സ്വീകരിച്ച് പാണ്ഡവരെ ശമിപ്പിക്ക—വൈരം തണുപ്പിച്ച് ധർമ്മാനുസൃതമായി സന്ധി തേടുക.

यतःfrom where / wherever
यतः:
Apadana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयतस्
FormAblative sense (indeclinable adverb: 'from/where')
कृष्णःKrishna
कृष्णः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकृष्ण
FormMasculine, nominative, singular
ततःfrom there / thence
ततः:
Apadana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततस्
FormAblative sense (indeclinable adverb: 'from there/thereupon')
धर्मःdharma / righteousness
धर्मः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म
FormMasculine, nominative, singular
यतःfrom where / wherever
यतः:
Apadana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयतस्
FormAblative sense (indeclinable adverb: 'from/where')
धर्मःdharma / righteousness
धर्मः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म
FormMasculine, nominative, singular
ततःfrom there / thence
ततः:
Apadana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततस्
FormAblative sense (indeclinable adverb: 'from there/thereupon')
जयःvictory
जयः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootजय
FormMasculine, nominative, singular
वासुदेवेनby/with Vasudeva (Krishna)
वासुदेवेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootवासुदेव
FormMasculine, instrumental, singular
तीर्थेनby/with the sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
तीर्थेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootतीर्थ
FormNeuter, instrumental, singular
पुत्रO son
पुत्र:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootपुत्र
FormMasculine, vocative, singular
संशाम्यhaving pacified / having appeased
संशाम्य:
Karma
TypeVerb
Rootशम् (धातु: शम्/शमुँ उपशमे)
FormAbsolutive (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), from सम्+शम्: 'having pacified/appeased'
पाण्डवैःby/with the Pandavas
पाण्डवैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootपाण्डव
FormMasculine, instrumental, plural

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
K
Kṛṣṇa
V
Vāsudeva
D
Dharma
P
Pāṇḍavas

Educational Q&A

The verse asserts a moral axiom: alignment with Kṛṣṇa—understood as the embodiment of righteous counsel and divine order—means alignment with Dharma, and Dharma inevitably yields true victory. It frames success not merely as military gain but as the outcome of ethical rightness.

Bhīṣma, instructing after the great war, emphasizes that the Pāṇḍavas’ triumph is grounded in Dharma because Kṛṣṇa stands with them. He urges the listener (“O son”) toward pacification—cooling conflict and acting through the sanctifying refuge of Vāsudeva’s guidance.