Shloka 7

Devanagari script

कथं मामन्यकामां त्वं राजधर्ममतीत्य वै | वासयेथा गृहे भीष्म कौरव: सन्‌ विशेषत:,'भीष्म! मैं दूसरेकी कामना करनेवाली राजकन्या हूँ। तुम विशेषतः कुरुवंशी होकर राजधर्मका उल्लंघन करके मुझे अपने घरमें कैसे रखोगे?

Transliteration

kathaṁ mām anyakāmāṁ tvaṁ rājadharmam atītya vai | vāsayethā gṛhe bhīṣma kauravaḥ san viśeṣataḥ ||

Translation

భీష్మా! నేను మరొకరిని కోరుకునే రాజకన్యను; మరి నీవు, ప్రత్యేకంగా కౌరవుడవై, రాజధర్మాన్ని అతిక్రమించి నన్ను నీ ఇంట్లో ఎలా ఉంచగలవు?

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: common, accusative, singular

• अन्यकामाम्: desiring another (man)
• अन्यकामाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्यकाम (अन्य + काम)
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: common, nominative, singular

• राजधर्मम्: kingly duty / royal law
• राजधर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजधर्म
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• अतीत्य: having transgressed
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति-इ (धातु: इ)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), active

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• वासयेथाः: would you make (me) dwell / keep (me)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (वासयति, causative)
• Form: optative (vidhi-liṅ), 2nd, singular, parasmaipada, causative

• गृहे: in (your) house
• गृहे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• भीष्म: O Bhīṣma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• कौरवः: a Kaurava / descendant of Kuru
• कौरवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौरव
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• सन्: being
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (सत्)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), masculine, nominative, singular

• विशेषतः: especially
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Kaurava (Kuru lineage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Royal dharma (rājadharma) includes protecting a woman’s stated choice and maintaining moral legitimacy; even a powerful elder like Bhīṣma must not override consent or propriety under the pretext of authority or lineage.

What is happening in the narrative?

A woman (contextually, Amba) addresses Bhīṣma, declaring she desires another man and challenges him: as a Kaurava committed to rājadharma, how could he keep her in his household by violating the ethical code of kings and nobles.