Shloka 21

Devanagari script

सत्यश्रवा रथस्त्वेको राजपुत्रो बृहद्धल: । तव राजन्‌ रिपुबले कालवत्‌ प्रचरिष्यति,राजन! राजकुमार बृहद्वधल भी एक रथी हैं। संसारमें उनकी सच्ची कीर्तिका विस्तार हुआ है। वे तुम्हारे शत्रुओंकी सेनामें कालके समान विचरेंगे

Transliteration

satyśravā rathas tv eko rājaputro bṛhaddhalaḥ | tava rājan ripubale kālavat pracariṣyati ||

Translation

Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai raja, ada seorang maharathi—putera raja Bṛhaddhala—yang masyhur dengan kemasyhuran yang benar. Di tengah bala musuh, dia akan bergerak laksana Maut sendiri.”

Word by Word

सत्यश्रवाःone of true fame (truth-renowned)

रथःchariot-warrior / chariot (context: chariot-fighter)

तुbut/indeed

एकःone/single

राजपुत्रःking’s son / prince

बृहद्धलःBṛhaddhala (proper name; ‘having a great host/army’)

तवof you/your

राजन्O king

रिपुबलेin the enemy army/force

कालवत्like Death / as Time (Yama-like)

प्रचरिष्यतिwill roam/move about

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

King (rājan)

Bṛhaddhala

Enemy army (ripu-bala)

Kāla (Death/Time)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links martial prowess with moral reputation: a warrior’s effectiveness in battle is framed alongside satya-śravas (true fame), suggesting that power gains ethical weight when grounded in truth and honorable conduct, even amid the inevitability of Kāla (Death/Time).

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is describing a notable prince-warrior, Bṛhaddhala, to the king, emphasizing that he is a formidable chariot-fighter who will move through the opposing forces with the unstoppable force of Death.