Shloka 5

उपवासविधि-प्रश्नः

Inquiry into the Discipline of Fasting

Devanagari script

प्रत्यक्ष भिन्नहृदया भेदयेयु: कृतं नरा: । श्रियाभितप्ता: कौन्तेय भेदकामास्तथारय:

Transliteration

pratyakṣa-bhinnahṛdayā bhedayeyuḥ kṛtaṃ narāḥ | śriyābhitaptāḥ kaunteya bhedakāmās tathārayāḥ ||

Translation

Бхишма сказал: «Если старший брат открыто наказывает за проступок, сердца младших братьев разрываются и кровоточат; и они разносят среди людей весть о таком суровом обращении. Увидев их благополучие, многие враги — сгорая от зависти, о сын Кунти, — начинают желать и пытаться посеять между ними раздор».

Word by Word

• प्रत्यक्षम्: openly, directly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष
• Form: Avyaya (adverb)

• भिन्नहृदयाः: having broken hearts
• भिन्नहृदयाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिन्नहृदय
• Form: Masculine, nominative, plural

• भेदयेयुः: would cause division / would disclose (make known)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद्
• Form: Optative (vidhi-lin), parasmaipada, 3rd person, plural

• कृतम्: the deed (done), the act
• कृतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत
• Form: Neuter, accusative, singular

• नराः: men, people
• नराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, nominative, plural

• श्रिया: by/with prosperity, by wealth
• श्रिया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री
• Form: Feminine, instrumental, singular

• अभितप्ताः: tormented, inflamed (with envy)
• अभितप्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभितप्त
• Form: Masculine, nominative, plural (past passive participle from √तप् with अभि-)

• कौन्तेय: O son of Kunti
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौन्तेय
• Form: Masculine, vocative, singular

• भेदकामाः: desiring division
• भेदकामाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भेदकाम
• Form: Masculine, nominative, plural

• तथा: thus, likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा
• Form: Avyaya (adverb)

• अरयः: enemies
• अरयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरि
• Form: Masculine, nominative, plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Kaunteya (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Discipline should be administered with discretion: public, harsh punishment within a family can fracture hearts and invite outsiders—especially envious enemies—to exploit the resulting resentment and create lasting divisions.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira on conduct and governance, he warns that when an elder brother punishes a younger brother openly, the younger may feel humiliated and publicize the grievance; this makes the family vulnerable to enemies who, jealous of their prosperity, seek to foment discord.