Shloka 20

Devanagari script

हते भीष्मे तु संदध्याच्छिवं स्थादिह माधव । न च तत्‌ कृतवान्‌ मूढो धार्तराष्ट्र: सुबालिश:,“माधव! यदि भीष्मके मारे जानेपर दुर्योधन सन्धि कर लेता तो यहाँ सबका कल्याण होता; परंतु उस अज्ञानी मूर्खने वैसा नहीं किया

Transliteration

hate bhīṣme tu sandadhyāc chivaṃ syād iha mādhava | na ca tat kṛtavān mūḍho dhārtarāṣṭraḥ subāliśaḥ ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: «О Мадхава! Если бы сын Дхритараштры заключил мир после гибели Бхишмы, это принесло бы благо всем здесь. Но тот ослеплённый, до крайности глупый человек не сделал этого».

Word by Word

हतेwhen (he was) slain

भीष्मेin/when Bhishma

तुbut/indeed

संदध्यात्should make/should arrange (a truce)

शिवम्welfare/auspicious good

स्यात्would be

इहhere/in this matter

माधवO Madhava (Krishna)

नnot

चand

तत्that (act)

कृतवान्did/has done

मूढःdeluded/foolish

धार्तराष्ट्रःthe son of Dhritarashtra (Duryodhana)

सु-बालिशःvery childish/utterly foolish

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīṣma

Mādhava (Kṛṣṇa)

Dhārtarāṣṭra (Duryodhana)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When a decisive warning sign appears—here, Bhīṣma’s fall—ethical prudence demands reconciliation for the welfare of all. Refusing peace out of delusion and childish obstinacy leads to greater harm and deepens adharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reflects on a critical turning point: after Bhīṣma was struck down, Duryodhana could have sought a settlement. Addressing Kṛṣṇa as Mādhava, he laments that Duryodhana, being deluded and foolish, did not choose peace, thereby prolonging the destructive war.