Shloka 21

Ānṛśaṃsya, Amātya-Guṇa, and Reconciliatory Counsel (आनृशंस्य–अमात्यगुण–संधि-उपदेशः)

Devanagari script

यथा ब्रूयान्महाप्राज्ञो यथा ब्रूयान्महाश्रुत: । श्रेयस्कामो यथा ब्रूयादुभयोरेव तत्‌ क्षमम्‌,“कोई महाबुद्धिमान-जैसी बात कह सकता है, कोई महाविद्वान-जैसी वाणी बोल सकता है, तथा दूसरोंका कल्याण चाहनेवाला महापुरुष जैसा उपदेश दे सकता है, वैसी ही बात आपने कही है। यह हम दोनोंके लिये ही शिरोधार्य करने योग्य है

Transliteration

yathā brūyān mahāprājño yathā brūyān mahāśrutaḥ | śreyaskāmo yathā brūyād ubhayor eva tat kṣamam ||

Translation

മഹാപ്രാജ്ഞൻ പറയുന്നതുപോലെ, മഹാശ്രുതൻ ഉച്ചരിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ, മറ്റുള്ളവരുടെ ശ്രേയസ്സു തേടുന്ന മഹാപുരുഷൻ ഉപദേശിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ—അത്തരം വാക്കുകളാണ് നിങ്ങൾ പറഞ്ഞത്. അത് നമ്മൾ ഇരുവരും സ്വീകരിച്ച് നിലനിർത്തേണ്ടതാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• {'yathā': 'as, in the manner that', 'brūyāt / brūyān': 'would speak

• should/ might say (optative sense)', 'mahāprājñaḥ': 'a person of great wisdom/intelligence', 'mahāśrutaḥ': 'one who is greatly learned

• well-versed in sacred and traditional learning', 'śreyas': 'the good

• the higher good', 'śreyaskāmaḥ': 'one who desires the good (especially others’ welfare)', 'ubhayor eva': 'of both indeed

• for both parties', 'tat': 'that (statement/teaching)', 'kṣamam': 'proper, fitting, acceptable

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma affirms that counsel is most authoritative when it combines deep wisdom (prajñā), extensive learning (śruta), and a sincere intention for the welfare (śreyas) of others; such speech is fit to be accepted by all concerned.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction-setting, Bhīṣma responds to the other speaker’s words by praising them as exemplary—worthy of a wise, learned, and benevolent teacher—and declares them suitable for both parties to adopt.