Shloka 87

Devanagari script

तदेतदार्ष माद्रेय प्रमाणं कर्तुमरहसि । असेश्व पूजा कर्तव्या सदा युद्धविशारदै:,माद्रीनन्दन! यह ऋषियोंका बताया हुआ मत है। तुम्हें इसे प्रमाण मानकर इसपर विश्वास करना चाहिये। युद्धविशारद पुरुषोंको सदा ही खड़ग की पूजा करनी चाहिये

Transliteration

tad etad ārṣaṃ mādreya pramāṇaṃ kartum arhasi | aśeṣvā pūjā kartavyā sadā yuddhaviśāradaiḥ ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—మాద్రేయా! ఇది ఋషులు ఉపదేశించిన అభిప్రాయం; నీవు దీనిని ప్రమాణంగా స్వీకరించవలెను. అందుచేత యుద్ధనిపుణులు సదా ఖడ్గపూజ చేయవలెను.

Word by Word

तत्that

एतत्this

आर्षम्of the seers; rishi-taught

माद्रेयO son of Madri

प्रमाणम्authority; valid standard

कर्तुम्to make; to accept as

अर्हसिyou ought; you are fit

असिःsword

चand

पूजाworship; honoring

कर्तव्याshould be done

सदाalways

युद्धविशारदैःby those skilled in war

माद्रीनन्दनO son of Madri

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Madri

Mādreya (Nakula/Sahadeva as addressee)

Rishis (seers)

Sword (khaḍga)

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?

Bhishma urges the listener to treat the seers’ instruction as a valid authority (pramāṇa) and to maintain continual reverence for the weapon of duty—symbolized by worship of the sword—so that power is exercised with restraint, responsibility, and dharmic awareness.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction to the Pandavas, Bhishma addresses a son of Madri and endorses a rishi-sanctioned practice: warriors skilled in battle should regularly honor their sword, affirming the sacred accountability attached to warfare.