Shloka 49

Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā

Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative

Devanagari script

अभ्युत्थानाभिवादाभ्यां सम्प्रदानेन केनचित्‌ । प्रतिपुष्पफलाघाती तीक्ष्णतुण्ड इव द्विज:,'शत्रुके आनेपर उठकर उसका स्वागत करे, उसे प्रणाम करे और कोई अपूर्व उपहार दे। इन सब बर्तावोंके द्वारा पहले उसे वशमें करे। इसके बाद ठीक वैसे ही जैसे तीखी चोंचवाला पक्षी वृक्षके प्रत्येक फ़ूल और फलपर चोंच मारता है, उसी प्रकार उसके साधन और साध्यपर आघात करे

Transliteration

abhyutthānābhivādābhyāṃ sampradānena kenacit | pratipuṣpaphalāghātī tīkṣṇatuṇḍa iva dvijaḥ ||

Translation

بھیشم نے کہا—جب دشمن آئے تو اٹھ کر اس کا استقبال کرو، اسے آداب و تعظیم پیش کرو اور کوئی نادر تحفہ دو؛ ان رویّوں سے پہلے اسے اپنے اثر میں لے آؤ۔ پھر جیسے تیز چونچ والا پرندہ درخت کے ہر پھول اور ہر پھل پر چونچ مارتا ہے، اسی طرح اس کے وسائل اور اس کے مقاصد—دونوں پر بتدریج ضرب لگاؤ۔

Word by Word

अभ्युत्थानby rising up (to receive)

अभिवादby salutation/greeting

आभ्याम्by both (of these two)

सम्प्रदानेनby giving/presenting (a gift)

केनचित्by something (some gift) / by some means

प्रतिपुष्पफलाघातीstriking at each flower and fruit

तीक्ष्णतुण्डःone having a sharp beak

इवlike/as

द्विजःa bird (lit. twice-born)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

enemy (śatru, implied)

bird (dvija)

tree (implied by flowers and fruits)

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?

Bhishma teaches a rāja-nīti tactic: first disarm an adversary through courtesy, respect, and gifts to gain leverage; then weaken him by targeting both his ‘means’ (resources, supports) and ‘ends’ (goals, outcomes) in a thorough, step-by-step manner.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and policy, Bhishma is advising the listener on how a ruler should deal with hostile parties—beginning with diplomatic gestures and then proceeding, when necessary, to calculated measures that undermine the opponent’s capacity and objectives.