Shloka 3

Adhyāya 108 — Nimitta-darśana and Drona’s counsel amid Arjuna’s advance (निमित्तदर्शनं द्रोणोपदेशश्च)

Devanagari script

तस्य कार्य त्वया वीर रक्षणं सुमहात्मन:

Transliteration

tasya kāryaṁ tvayā vīra rakṣaṇaṁ sumahātmanaḥ |

Translation

สัญชัยกล่าวว่า “โอ้วีรบุรุษ หน้าที่ของท่านคือคุ้มครองภีษมะผู้มีจิตยิ่งใหญ่ หากปิตามหะภีษมะของเราปลอดภัยในศึก ท่านจะมุ่งสู่ชัยชนะในสมรภูมิ และทำลายเหล่าปาณฑพพร้อมทั้งปัญจาลให้สิ้น”

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/that (person)
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• कार्यं: duty; what is to be done
• कार्यं: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• वीर: O hero
• वीर: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• रक्षणम्: protection; guarding
• रक्षणम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सुमहात्मनः: of the very great-souled (one)
• सुमहात्मनः: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमहात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Pāṇḍavas
• Pāñcālas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames protection of a key elder-warrior as a warrior’s obligation (kārya), showing how dharma in a royal-war context can be expressed as loyalty to one’s side and strategic safeguarding of a decisive leader—while also hinting at the grave ethical weight of seeking victory through large-scale destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports counsel urging a warrior to ensure Bhīṣma’s safety. The reasoning is tactical: if Bhīṣma is kept secure on the battlefield, he will press for victory and is expected to devastate the opposing forces, specifically the Pāṇḍavas and their Pāñcāla allies.