Shloka 95

Devanagari script

कथं महात्मा गाजड़ेय: सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वर: । कालकर्ता नरव्याघ्र: सम्प्राप्ते दक्षिणायने,महात्मा गंगानन्दन भीष्म सम्पूर्ण शस्त्रधारियोंमें श्रेष्ठ, मनुष्योंमें सिंहके समान पराक्रमी तथा कालपर भी प्रभुत्व रखनेवाले थे। इन्होंने दक्षिणायनमें मृत्यु क्यों स्वीकार की?

Transliteration

kathaṃ mahātmā gāṅgeyaḥ sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃ varaḥ | kālakartā naravyāghraḥ samprāpte dakṣiṇāyane ||

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു— മഹാത്മാവായ ഗാംഗേയ ഭീഷ്മൻ, സർവ്വായുധധാരികളിലും ശ്രേഷ്ഠൻ, മനുഷ്യരിൽ വ്യാഘ്രസമാന പരാക്രമശാലി, മരണകാലം നിർണ്ണയിക്കുവാൻ ശേഷിയുള്ളവൻ— ദക്ഷിണായനത്തിൽ എന്തുകൊണ്ട് മരണം സ്വീകരിച്ചു?

Word by Word

कथम्how?

महात्माthe great-souled one

गाङ्गेयःGāṅgeya (son of Gaṅgā; Bhīṣma)

सर्वशस्त्रभृताम्of all weapon-bearers

वरःthe best, excellent

कालकर्ताone who controls/ordains Time (death)

नरव्याघ्रःtiger among men

सम्प्राप्तेwhen (it) had arrived

दक्षिणायनेin the southern course (of the sun); during Dakṣiṇāyana

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīṣma

Gaṅgā

Dakṣiṇāyana

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 foregrounds the ethical and spiritual problem of death’s timing: even one who can choose the moment of death (kālakartā) is still interpreted through dharma and cosmic order (the sun’s course). It invites reflection on how personal agency, vows, and the auspiciousness of time interact in a dharmic worldview.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, expresses wonder: Bhīṣma—renowned as the greatest warrior and as one who could control the time of his death—has accepted death in Dakṣiṇāyana. The question sets up an explanation of Bhīṣma’s choice and the significance of seasonal/solar timing in his passing.