Shloka 11

धर्म्यविजय-नियमाः

Rules for Dharmic Victory in Kṣatriya Engagement

Devanagari script

इषुर्लिप्तो न कर्णी स्यादसतामेतदायुधम्‌ । यथार्थमेव योद्धव्यं न क्रुद्धयेत जिघांसत:

Transliteration

iṣur lipto na karṇī syād asatām etad āyudham | yathārtham eva yoddhavyaṃ na kruddhyet jighāṃsataḥ ||

Translation

ଯୁଦ୍ଧରେ ବିଷଲିପ୍ତ ବାଣ କିମ୍ବା କର୍ଣୀ (କଣ୍ଟକଯୁକ୍ତ) ବାଣ ବ୍ୟବହାର କରିବା ଉଚିତ ନୁହେଁ; ଏହା ଅସତ୍ ଲୋକଙ୍କ ଆୟୁଧ। ଯଥାର୍ଥ ଓ ଶିଷ୍ଟ ରୀତିରେ ହିଁ ଯୁଦ୍ଧ କରିବା ଉଚିତ। ଯେ କେହି ବଧ କରିବାକୁ ଉଦ୍ୟତ, ତା’ପ୍ରତି କ୍ରୋଧରେ ଅନ୍ଧ ହୋଇନାହିଁ, ଧର୍ମମର୍ଯ୍ୟାଦାରେ ରହି ଯଥୋଚିତ ପ୍ରତିକାର କରିବା ଉଚିତ।

Word by Word

• इषुः: arrow
• इषुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: इषु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• लिप्तः: smeared/coated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिप्
• Form: क्त, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• कर्णी: a barbed/ear-shaped (arrow); karnin-arrow
• कर्णी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्णिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्यात्: should be / ought to be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Vidhi-lin (optative), Optative, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• असताम्: of the wicked / of the bad
• Type: Noun
• Root: असत्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• एतत्: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• आयुधम्: weapon
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुध
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• यथा: as / in the proper manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• अर्थम्: meaning / purpose / right course
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed / only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• योद्धव्यम्: must be fought / one should fight
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध्
• Form: तव्यत्, Passive necessity (gerundive), Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• क्रुद्धयेत्: should become angry
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रुध्
• Form: Vidhi-lin (optative), Optative, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• जिघांसतः: of one wishing to kill
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle, desiderative stem जिघांस-), Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• iṣu (arrow)
• karṇī (barbed arrow)
• poison-smeared weapon

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma teaches dharma-yuddha: avoid cruel, deceitful weapons like poisoned or barbed arrows, and maintain self-control—do not let anger govern one’s actions even when facing a lethal opponent.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on righteous conduct and governance; here he addresses battlefield ethics, distinguishing honorable combat from the practices of the unrighteous and urging disciplined, proportionate response rather than wrath.