Shloka 19

Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā

Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative

Devanagari script

मुहूर्तमपि राजेन्द्र तिन्दुकालातवज्ज्वलेत्‌ । न तुषाग्निरिवानर्चिर्धूमायेत चिरं नर:

Transliteration

muhūrtam api rājendra tindukālātavac jvalet | na tuṣāgnir ivānarcir dhūmāyet ciraṃ naraḥ ||

Translation

రాజేంద్రా! మనిషి క్షణమైనా తిందుక కట్టెల మశాలిలా ఉగ్రంగా జ్వలించి శత్రువు ఎదుట ఘోర పరాక్రమం చూపాలి. కానీ దీర్ఘకాలం తూళ్ల అగ్నిలా జ్వాల లేకుండా పొగ మాత్రమే కక్కుతూ ఉండకూడదు—అల్పవీరత్వం ప్రదర్శించకూడదు.

Word by Word

• {'muhūrtam': 'a short time

• a moment (traditionally a fixed time-unit, here ‘briefly’)', 'api': 'even

• also', 'rājendra': 'O best of kings

• O king (vocative)', 'tinduka': 'the tinduka tree (Diospyros species)

• its wood used as fuel/torch', 'kāṣṭha': 'wood

• timber', 'vat': 'like

• as', 'jvalet': 'should blaze

• should burn brightly (optative, prescriptive)', 'na': 'not', 'tuṣa': 'chaff

• husk', 'agni': 'fire', 'iva': 'like

• as if', 'anarcis': 'without flame

• flameless (a- + arcis ‘flame’)', 'dhūmāyet': 'should smoke

• should emit smoke (optative)', 'ciram': 'for a long time', 'naraḥ': 'a man

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• rājendra (the king addressed, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira in Śānti Parva context)
• tinduka-wood torch
• chaff-fire (tuṣāgni)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma teaches that true prowess should be decisive and luminous: better to blaze with effective courage even briefly than to linger in weak, smoky effort that lacks real impact. The ethical point is to avoid prolonged half-measures and to act with clear, forceful resolve when duty demands.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) on righteous conduct and statecraft. Here he uses two vivid images—tinduka-wood torch versus chaff-fire—to counsel how a man, especially a ruler/warrior, should manifest strength before enemies: with visible, effective power rather than ineffectual display.