Shloka 13

Puruṣaikatva-vyākhyāna: The One Virāṭ Puruṣa and the Many ‘Puruṣas’

Rudra–Brahmā Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच देवानां तु मतं ज्ञात्वा वसुना पक्षसंश्रयात्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca devānāṁ tu mataṁ jñātvā vasunā pakṣasaṁśrayāt

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—దేవతల అభిప్రాయాన్ని గ్రహించి, వసువు పక్షాన్ని ఆశ్రయించి, ఆ దివ్య సంకల్పానుసారంగా అతడు ప్రవర్తించాడు; ఉన్నత ఉపదేశంతో నడిచే పక్షపాతం ధర్మగతిని నిర్ణయిస్తుంది.

Word by Word

भीष्मःBhishma

उवाचsaid

देवानाम्of the gods

तुbut/indeed

मतम्opinion/view

ज्ञात्वाhaving known

वसुनाby/with Vasu

पक्षसंश्रयात्from taking a side/partisanship

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Devas (the gods)

Vasu

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 that discerning higher counsel (the gods’ intention) and then choosing one’s alignment accordingly can be a decisive ethical act; ‘taking a side’ is not merely political but can be framed as a dharmic commitment shaped by insight into a larger moral order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma, continuing his instruction in the Shanti Parva, refers to someone who first understands the resolve of the gods and then aligns with Vasu’s side—indicating a deliberate choice of faction based on perceived divine intention.