Shloka 38

Śiśupāla-vākya: Bhīṣma-nindā and the ‘Haṃsa’ Exemplum (शिशुपालवाक्यम् — भीष्मनिन्दा, हंसदृष्टान्तः)

Devanagari script

इति श्रीमहाभारते सभापर्वणि अर्घाभिहरणपर्वणि भीष्मवाक्ये अष्टात्रिंशो5 ध्याय: ।। ३८ || इस प्रकार श्रीमयह्या भारत सभापवकिे अन्तर्गत अर्घाभिद्टरणपर्वमें भीष्मवाक्य नामक अड़तीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ

Transliteration

iti śrīmahābhārate sabhāparvaṇi arghābhiharaṇaparvaṇi bhīṣmavākye aṣṭātriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ || 38 ||

Translation

ఇట్లు శ్రీమహాభారత సభాపర్వంలో అర్ఘాభిహరణపర్వాంతర్గత ‘భీష్మవాక్య’మనే ముప్పై ఎనిమిదవ అధ్యాయం సమాప్తమైంది।

Word by Word

इतिthus; end-quote marker

श्रीमहाभारतेin the Śrī-Mahābhārata

सभापर्वणिin the Sabhā-parvan

अर्घाभिहरणपर्वणिin the Arghābhiharaṇa-parvan (section on bringing the arghya offering)

भीष्मवाक्येin (the section called) Bhīṣma’s speech

अष्टात्रिंशःthirty-eighth

अध्यायःchapter

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mahābhārata

Sabhā Parva

Arghābhiharaṇa Parva

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?

This line is a colophon rather than a doctrinal verse: it teaches by form—showing how the Mahābhārata frames discourse within a specific setting (the royal sabhā) and links speech (Bhīṣma’s counsel) to ritual and polity, underscoring that dharma is articulated and tested in public, political spaces.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrative action pauses: the text formally announces the completion of the thirty-eighth chapter in Sabhā Parva, identifying the sub-section (Arghābhiharaṇa Parva) and attributing the discourse to Bhīṣma.