Shloka 18

भीष्मस्य सेनापत्यप्रतिज्ञा तथा रथसंख्यावर्णनम् | Bhishma Accepts Command and Enumerates Kaurava Strength

Devanagari script

नृशंसतायास्तैक्ष्ण्यस्य धर्मविद्वेषणस्य च | अधर्मस्यातिवादस्य वृद्धातिक्रमणस्य च

Transliteration

nṛśaṃsatāyās taikṣṇyasya dharmavidveṣaṇasya ca | adharmasyātivādasya vṛddhātikramaṇasya ca

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ— (ତାହାରେ) ନିର୍ଦୟତା, ତୀକ୍ଷ୍ଣତା ଓ ଧର୍ମପ୍ରତି ଦ୍ୱେଷ ଅଛି; ଅଧର୍ମ, ଅତିବାଦୀ ବାକ୍ୟ ଏବଂ ବୃଦ୍ଧମାନଙ୍କୁ ଅବମାନ (ଅତିକ୍ରମଣ) ମଧ୍ୟ ଅଛି।

Word by Word

• नृशंसतायाः: of cruelty
• नृशंसतायाः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृशंसता
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• तैक्ष्ण्यस्य: of harshness/sharpness
• तैक्ष्ण्यस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: तैक्ष्ण्य
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• धर्मविद्वेषणस्य: of hatred of dharma
• धर्मविद्वेषणस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मविद्वेषण
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अधर्मस्य: of unrighteousness
• अधर्मस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्म
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अतिवादस्य: of exaggeration/overstatement
• अतिवादस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिवाद
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• वृद्धातिक्रमणस्य: of transgressing/overstepping elders
• वृद्धातिक्रमणस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धातिक्रमण
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse lists moral faults that signal a fall from dharma: cruelty and harshness in conduct, hostility toward righteousness, indulgence in adharma, uncontrolled contentious speech, and the grave social-ethical breach of overstepping and disrespecting elders.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing a person’s disposition by enumerating vices—especially those that corrode dharma and social order—framing the ethical critique that underlies the escalating conflict in the Udyoga Parva.