Shloka 31

Devanagari script

यो हि धर्म विचिनुयादुत्कृष्टं मतिमान्‌ नर: । स वै पश्येद्‌ यथा धर्म न तथा चेदिराडयम्‌,जो बुद्धिमान्‌ मनुष्य उत्तम धर्मकी खोज करता है, वह धर्मके स्वरूपको जैसा समझता है, वैसा यह चेदिराज शिशुपाल नहीं समझता

Transliteration

yo hi dharma vicinuyād utkṛṣṭaṃ matimān naraḥ | sa vai paśyed yathā dharma na tathā cedīrāḍ ayam ||

Translation

यो हि धर्मं विचिनुयाद् उत्कृष्टं मतिमान् नरः । स वै पश्येद् यथा धर्मं न तथा चेदिराडयम् ॥

Word by Word

यःwho

हिindeed/for

धर्मम्dharma/righteousness

विचिनुयात्should investigate/seek out

उत्कृष्टम्excellent/supreme

मतिमान्intelligent

नरःman/person

सःhe

वैindeed/assuredly

पश्येत्would see/understand

यथाas/how

धर्मम्dharma

नnot

तथाthus/in that way

चेदिराट्the king of Cedi

अयम्this (one)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Shishupala

Cedi (kingdom)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True understanding of dharma requires reflective inquiry and higher discernment; without such examination, a person—even a king—misapprehends what is right.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma contrasts the insight of a wise seeker of dharma with Shishupala’s flawed understanding, identifying Shishupala (the Cedi king) as someone who does not grasp dharma correctly.