Shloka 39

भीमसेनस्य बहुमहारथसंयुगः

Bhīmasena’s Engagement with Multiple Mahārathas

Devanagari script

दुःखानि वनवासे वा किं नु मे सुकृतं भवेत्‌ । 'प्रभो! अवध्य महापुरुषोंका वध करके नरकसे भी बढ़कर निन्दनीय राज्य प्राप्त करूँ अथवा वनवासमें रहकर कष्ट भोगूँ--इन दोनोंमें कौन मेरे लिये पुण्य-दायक होगा? ।। ३८ -॥] चोदयाश्वान्‌ यतो भीष्म: करिष्ये वचनं तव

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | codayāśvān yato bhīṣmaḥ kariṣye vacanaṃ tava ||

Translation

Sanjaya berkata: “Bagi diriku, yang manakah menjadi kebajikan: membunuh para mahāpurusha yang tidak patut dibunuh lalu memperoleh kerajaan yang lebih tercela daripada neraka, atau tinggal dalam buangan di rimba menanggung derita?” Lalu katanya lagi: “Paculah kuda-kuda ke tempat Bhīṣma berada; aku akan melaksanakan perintahmu.”

Word by Word

• {'sañjaya uvāca': 'Sanjaya said', 'codayāśvān': 'urge on the horses

• set the horses in motion (imperative)', 'yato': 'to where

• whither', 'bhīṣmaḥ': 'Bhishma (the grandsire of the Kurus)', 'kariṣye': 'I shall do

• I will carry out', 'vacanam': 'word

• instruction', 'tava': 'your'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Bhishma
• horses
• chariot

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-warrior discipline and the ethic of carrying out rightful commands promptly in the midst of battle preparations—action aligned with duty rather than hesitation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports a battlefield instruction: the speaker orders the charioteer to drive toward Bhishma and affirms compliance, signaling a tactical movement and deference to authority during the Kurukshetra war.