Shloka 57

Devanagari script

सर्वे धर्मपराश्चासन्‌ सर्वे सततसत्रिण: । अन्तरिक्षचरा: सर्वे सर्वेडभिमुखयोधिन:

Transliteration

sarve dharmaparāś cāsan sarve satatasatriṇaḥ | antarīkṣacarāḥ sarve sarve 'bhimukhayodhinaḥ ||

Translation

सर्वे धर्मपराश्चासन् सर्वे सततसत्रिणः । अन्तरिक्षचराः सर्वे सर्वेऽभिमुखयोधिनः ॥

Word by Word

सर्वेall

धर्मपराःdevoted to dharma

चand

आसन्were

सर्वेall

सततसत्रिणःconstant performers of sacrificial sessions

अन्तरिक्षचराःmoving in the sky

सर्वेall

अभिमुखयोधिनःfighters facing (the enemy) head-on

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

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?

The verse praises an ideal community where righteousness (dharma), disciplined ritual life (satra/yajña), and ethical warfare (direct, face-to-face combat) coexist—suggesting that power and prowess are meant to be governed by moral restraint and transparent conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is describing a group of beings/warriors characterized by unwavering dharma, continual sacrificial practice, the ability to move through the sky, and a commitment to straightforward battle—setting an ethical and cultural portrait rather than recounting a single action.