Shloka 18
भीष्मस्य सेनापत्यप्रतिज्ञा तथा रथसंख्यावर्णनम् | Bhishma Accepts Command and Enumerates Kaurava Strength
नृशंसतायास्तैक्ष्ण्यस्य धर्मविद्वेषणस्य च | अधर्मस्यातिवादस्य वृद्धातिक्रमणस्य च
nṛśaṃsatāyās taikṣṇyasya dharmavidveṣaṇasya ca | adharmasyātivādasya vṛddhātikramaṇasya ca
ਸੰਜਯ ਬੋਲਿਆ— (ਉਸ ਵਿੱਚ) ਨਿਰਦਯਤਾ, ਤੀਖ਼ਾਪਣ ਅਤੇ ਧਰਮ ਨਾਲ ਵੈਰ ਹੈ; ਅਧਰਮ, ਅਤਿਵਾਦੀ ਝਗੜਾਲੂ ਬੋਲ ਅਤੇ ਬਜ਼ੁਰਗਾਂ ਦੀ ਬੇਅਦਬੀ ਵੀ ਹੈ।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.
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.