Shloka 57

Devanagari script

सर्वे धर्मपराश्चासन्‌ सर्वे सततसत्रिण: । अन्तरिक्षचरा: सर्वे सर्वेडभिमुखयोधिन:

Transliteration

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

Translation

భీష్ముడు అన్నాడు— “వారందరూ ధర్మపరులు; వారందరూ నిరంతరం సత్రయజ్ఞాలు నిర్వహించేవారు. వారందరూ అంతరిక్షంలో సంచరించేవారు, వారందరూ అభిముఖ యోధులు—మోసం లేకుండా ఎదురెదురుగా యుద్ధం చేసేవారు.”

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.