Shloka 24

अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः

Devanagari script

शरतल्पे शयानेन भीष्मेण सुमहात्मना

Transliteration

śaratālpe śayānena bhīṣmeṇa sumahātmanā | bhrātṛbhāvena pṛthivīṃ bhuṅkṣva pāṇḍusutaiḥ saha ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra berkata: “Ketika Bhīṣma yang berhati agung berbaring di atas hamparan anak panah, dia menasihati: ‘Hiduplah dan perintahlah bumi ini bersama putera-putera Pāṇḍu dalam semangat persaudaraan. Redakan permusuhan melalui perdamaian; biarlah perang ini berakhir bersama nyawaku. Peliharalah rasa kekeluargaan dengan para Pāṇḍava dan nikmatilah kerajaan dengan aman.’”

Word by Word

• शरतल्पे: on the bed of arrows
• शरतल्पे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरतल्प
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• शयानेन: by/with (one) lying
• शयानेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शयान
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• भीष्मेण: by Bhishma
• भीष्मेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• सुमहात्मना: by the very great-souled (one)
• सुमहात्मना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमहात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• भ्रातृभावेन: with brotherly feeling
• भ्रातृभावेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृभाव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• पृथिवीं: the earth/kingdom
• पृथिवीं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• भुङ्क्ष्व: enjoy, rule
• भुङ्क्ष्व: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पाण्डुसुतैः: with the sons of Pandu
• पाण्डुसुतैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डुसुत
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सह: together with
• सह: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Bhīṣma
• Pāṇḍavas (sons of Pāṇḍu)
• Pṛthivī (the earth/kingdom)
• Śaratālpa (bed of arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid irreversible loss, dharma favors reconciliation over vengeance: rule and enjoy prosperity through brotherhood, letting enmity subside through a just settlement rather than prolonging a destructive war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, lying on the arrow-bed, gives counsel urging peace: Duryodhana should make a settlement with the Pāṇḍavas and share the kingdom in a fraternal spirit, so that the war may cease and hostility be pacified.