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? ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | codayāśvān yato bhīṣmaḥ kariṣye vacanaṃ tava ||

Translation

ਸੰਜਯ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—“ਜੰਗਲ-ਵਾਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਦੁੱਖ ਸਹਿਣਾ—ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੋਹਾਂ ਵਿੱਚੋਂ ਮੇਰੇ ਲਈ ਕਿਹੜਾ ਪੁੰਨਦਾਇਕ ਹੋਵੇਗਾ? ਘੋੜਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਹੰਕਾਰੋ; ਰਥ ਨੂੰ ਉਥੇ ਲੈ ਚਲੋ ਜਿੱਥੇ ਭੀਸ਼ਮ ਹਨ। ਮੈਂ ਤੇਰਾ ਹੁਕਮ ਪੂਰਾ ਕਰਾਂਗਾ।”

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.