Shloka 7

Devanagari script

नवनीलोत्पलापीडचारुवर्ण सुदर्शन । दाडिमाशोकपुष्पाक्ष मा त्रसस्वाभयं तव,“नूतन नील-कमलके हारकी भाँति तेरी मनोहर कान्ति है। तू देखनेमें बड़ा सुन्दर है। तेरी आँखें अनार और अशोकके फूलोंकी भाँति लाल हैं। तू भयभीत न हो। मैं तुझे अभय दान देता हूँ

Transliteration

navanīlotpalāpīḍacāruvarṇa sudarśana | dāḍimāśokapuṣpākṣa mā trasasvābhayaṃ tava ||

Translation

بھیشم نے کہا—“اے نوخیز نیلے کنول کی مالا جیسے رنگ والے، اے نہایت خوش منظر! اے انار اور اشوک کے پھول جیسے سرخ آنکھوں والے! مت ڈر؛ میں تجھے امان (ابھَے) دیتا ہوں۔”

Word by Word

नवनीलोत्पलापीडचारुवर्णO you whose lovely complexion is like an ornament of fresh blue lotuses

सुदर्शनO handsome one / O fair to behold

दाडिमाशोकपुष्पाक्षO you whose eyes are like pomegranate and aśoka flowers

माdo not

त्रसस्वbe afraid / tremble

अभयम्fearlessness; protection

तवfor you / of you

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

blue lotus (utpala)

pomegranate (dāḍima)

aśoka blossoms

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A dharmic protector should remove fear from the vulnerable: offering ‘abhaya’ (fearlessness) is a moral act of guardianship, compassion, and responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma addresses a frightened person with affectionate, poetic descriptions and reassures them, explicitly granting protection and safety (abhaya).