Shloka 12

Devanagari script

देवतानां महाभाग धर्मचर्या न हीयते । अतिथीनां च सत्कारे नित्ययुक्तास्म्यतन्द्रिता,महाभाग! देवताओंकी आराधनारूप धर्मचर्यामें कोई कमी नहीं आयी है, अतिथियोंके सत्कारमें भी मैं सदा आलस्य छोड़कर लगी रही हूँ

Transliteration

devatānāṁ mahābhāga dharmacaryā na hīyate | atithīnāṁ ca satkāre nityayuktāsmy atandritā ||

Translation

ఓ మహాభాగా! దేవతారాధనారూప ధర్మాచరణలో ఏ లోటూ రాలేదు; అలాగే అతిథుల సత్కారంలో కూడా నేను నిత్యం అప్రమత్తంగా నిమగ్నమై ఉన్నాను.

Word by Word

देवतानाम्of the deities

महाभागO greatly fortunate one

धर्मचर्याreligious conduct/practice

नnot

हीयतेdiminishes/declines

अतिथीनाम्of guests

चand

सत्कारेin honoring/respecting

नित्ययुक्ताalways engaged

अस्मिI am

अतन्द्रिताunwearied, not negligent

महाभागO greatly fortunate one

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

devas (gods)

atithi (guest)

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?

Dharma is sustained through steady daily observances: reverence toward the divine and conscientious hospitality toward guests. Ethical life is shown not by claims but by unwavering practice without laziness or neglect.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction-setting, Bhishma speaks to a noble interlocutor and asserts the constancy of his dharmic conduct—specifically, that his worship of the gods and his respectful reception of guests have not declined.