Shloka 28

भीष्मस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति उपालम्भः

Bhīṣma’s Reproof to Duryodhana

Devanagari script

सभामानीय दुर्बुद्धे बहुधा क्लेशिता त्वया । तव च प्रियकामेन आश्रमस्था दुरात्मना

Transliteration

sabhām ānīya durbuddhe bahudhā kleśitā tvayā | tava ca priyakāmena āśramasthā durātmanā

Translation

Sinabi ni Sañjaya: “O ikaw na masama ang isip! Dinala mo siya sa bulwagan ng hari at pinahirapan sa maraming paraan. At ikaw—masama ang kalooban—ginawa mo iyon dahil sa pagnanais na pagbigyan ang sarili, kahit siya’y isang babaeng namumuhay sa ilalim ng pag-iingat ng sambahayan at ng banal na kaayusan ng dharma.”

Word by Word

सभाम्assembly hall

आनीयhaving brought

दुर्बुद्धेO evil-minded one

बहुधाin many ways / repeatedly

क्लेशिताwas afflicted / tormented

त्वयाby you

तवof you / your

चand

प्रियकामेनby (your) desire for what is dear / by fond wish

आश्रमस्थाdwelling in the hermitage

दुरात्मनाby the wicked one

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

sabhā (royal assembly)

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?

The verse condemns the misuse of authority and public humiliation: dragging a protected person into a public arena and causing suffering for selfish gratification is adharma, revealing a corrupted mind and character.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating events, rebukes an evil-minded figure for having brought someone into the royal assembly and repeatedly tormented her, emphasizing that the act was driven by base desire and wicked intent.