Anushasana Parva Adhyaya 56 Shloka 53 - Mahabharata | Sanskrit | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 53

अध्याय ५६ — च्यवन–कुशिकसंवादः

Cyavana–Kuśika Dialogue on Lineage, Conflict, and Transmission

Devanagari script

सुकुमारौ च तौ विद्धौ कराभ्यां मुनिसत्तम: । पस्पर्शामृतकल्पाभ्यां स्नेहाद्‌ भरतसत्तम

Transliteration

sukumārau ca tau viddhau karābhyāṃ munisattamaḥ | pasparśāmṛtakalpābhyāṃ snehād bharatasattama ||

Translation

भीष्म उवाच— मुनिसत्तमस्तौ सुकुमारौ विद्धौ दृष्ट्वा कराभ्याममृतकल्पाभ्यां स्नेहात् तयोः पृष्ठे मृदु पस्पर्श, हे भरतसत्तम।

Word by Word

सुकुमारौtwo delicate (ones)

चand

तौthose two

विद्धौwounded / struck

कराभ्याम्with (his) two hands

मुनिसत्तमःthe best of sages

पस्पर्शtouched

अमृतकल्पाभ्याम्with two (hands) like nectar

स्नेहात्out of affection

भरतसत्तमO best of the Bharatas

भरतभूषणO ornament of the Bharatas

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

munisattama (the great sage; contextually Cyavana in the Cyavana–Kuśika dialogue)

bharatasattama (addressee, a Bharata prince/king in the frame narrative)

the two tender wounded persons (a royal couple in the narrative context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when harm has occurred, dharmic conduct is shown through compassionate care: the sage responds to injury not with anger but with a healing, affectionate touch, modeling restraint and benevolence.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Cyavana–Kuśika episode, a great sage sees two gentle persons who have been hurt and, moved by affection, comforts them by softly stroking them with nectar-like hands—an image of soothing protection and moral tenderness.