Shloka 24

कपोत-लुब्धकसंवादः — Hunter’s Remorse and Renunciatory Resolve

Devanagari script

अनव्यवदहितं यो वा नेदं वाक्यमुपाश्रुते । उग्रायैव हि सृष्टोडसि कर्मणे न त्वमीक्षसे,यदि तुम मेरे इस नीतियुक्त कथनको नहीं स्वीकार करते हो तो तुम्हारा यह व्यवहार उचित नहीं है; क्‍योंकि तुम (क्षत्रिय होनेके कारण) उग्र (हिंसापूर्ण) कर्मके लिये ही विधाताद्वारा रचे गये हो। इस बातकी ओर तुम्हारी दृष्टि नहीं जा रही है

Transliteration

anavyavadahitaṃ yo vā nedaṃ vākyam upāśṛṇute | ugrāyaiva hi sṛṣṭo ’si karmaṇe na tvam īkṣase ||

Translation

अनव्यवदहितं यो वा नेदं वाक्यमुपाश्रुते । उग्रायैव हि सृष्टोऽसि कर्मणे न त्वमीक्षसे ॥

Word by Word

• {'anavyavadahitam': 'unobstructed

• plainly (also: without interruption)', 'yo vā': 'whoever

• if you (indeed)', 'na': 'not', 'idam': 'this', 'vākyam': 'statement

• instruction', 'upāśṛṇute': 'listens to attentively

• heeds', 'ugrāya': 'to the fierce/harsh

• to the stern', 'eva': 'indeed

• precisely', 'hi': 'for

• because', 'sṛṣṭaḥ asi': 'you are created/formed', 'karmaṇe': 'for action

• for a deed/duty', 'na tvam īkṣase': 'you do not see/consider

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma stresses role-based dharma: a kshatriya is constituted for decisive, even stern action when duty demands it. Ignoring sound counsel and acting inconsistently with one’s ordained responsibility is ethically improper.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs the listener (contextually a ruler/warrior) on righteous conduct. Here he rebukes the refusal to heed his ethical counsel, reminding the addressee of the warrior’s nature and duty toward firm action.