Udyoga Parva Adhyaya 184 Shloka 1 - Mahabharata | Telugu | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 1

Bhīṣma’s Dream-Counsel and the Prasvāpa Astra (भीष्मस्वप्नदर्शनम् / प्रस्वापास्त्रोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

अत-४-शक+ पज्चाशीर्त्याधिकशततमो< ध्याय: देवताओंके मना करनेसे भीष्मका प्रस्वापनास्त्रको प्रयोगमें न लाना तथा पितर

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | tato halahalāśabdo divi rājan mahān abhūt | prasvāpaṁ bhīṣma mā srākṣīr iti kauravanandana |

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—ఓ రాజా! కౌరవనందనా! అప్పుడు ఆకాశంలో మహా కోలాహలం లేచింది—“భీష్మా! ప్రస్వాపన (నిద్రాకర) అస్త్రాన్ని విడువకు.”

Word by Word

भीष्मःBhishma

उवाचsaid

ततःthen/thereupon

हलहलाशब्दःa loud 'halahalā' cry/sound

दिविin heaven/in the sky

राजन्O king

महान्great

अभूत्arose/occurred/was

प्रस्वापम्the sleep(-inducing) weapon (Prasvāpa)

भीष्मO Bhishma

माdo not

स्राक्षीःrelease/let loose

इतिthus

कौरवनन्दनO delight of the Kurus

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Kauravanandana (addressed person, a Kuru prince/king)

Prasvāpa (sleep-inducing astra/weapon)

Heaven/sky (divi)

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?

Even in conflict, dharma demands restraint: not every available power should be used. The heavenly prohibition signals that certain weapons or tactics are morally or cosmically unacceptable, and escalation must be checked.

What is happening in the narrative?

As Bhishma speaks, a great cry arises in the heavens instructing him not to discharge the Prasvāpa (sleep-inducing) weapon, indicating intervention by higher beings to prevent a decisive or improper use of force.