Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तं तु राजा प्रतोदेन चोदयामास भारत । न चुकोप स धर्मात्मा ततः पादेन देवराट्‌

Transliteration

taṃ tu rājā pratodena codayāmāsa bhārata | na cukopa sa dharmātmā tataḥ pādena devarāṭ ||

Translation

ఓ భారతవంశజా! రాజు అతనిని ప్రతోదంతో తొలగించాడు; అయినా ఆ ధర్మాత్ముడు కోపపడలేదు. అప్పుడు దేవరాజు పాదంతో ప్రహరించాడు.

Word by Word

तम्him

तुbut/indeed

राजाthe king

प्रतोदेनwith a goad/whip

चोदयामासurged/drove on

भारतO Bharata

नnot

चुकोपbecame angry

सःhe

धर्मात्माrighteous-souled

ततःthen/thereupon

पादेनwith (his) foot

देवराट्the king of the gods (Indra)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Bhārata (addressee, typically Yudhiṣṭhira)

rājā (the king)

dharmātmā (the righteous person being prodded)

Devarāṭ (Indra)

pratoda (goad)

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?

The verse highlights the ethical ideal of akrodha (freedom from anger) and kṣamā (forbearance): even when provoked or treated harshly, a dharmātmā remains unshaken, showing inner mastery rather than reactive hostility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates an episode in which a king urges someone forward using a goad. The person, described as dharmātmā, does not become angry. Immediately after, Devarāṭ (Indra), the king of the gods, is said to strike with his foot—indicating a sudden divine action within the story.