Shloka 11
भीष्मकृतः पाण्डवपक्ष-महारथ-प्रशंसा
Bhishma’s appraisal of Pandava-aligned chariot-warriors
पितामह यथेष्ट॑ मां वाकृशरैरुपकृन्तसि । अनागसं सदा द्वेषादेवमेव पदे पदे
pitāmaha yatheṣṭaṁ māṁ vāk-śaraiḥ upakṛntasi | anāgasaṁ sadā dveṣād evam eva pade pade ||
اے پِتامہ! تم اپنی مرضی کے مطابق لفظوں کے تیروں سے مجھے کاٹتے ہو۔ میں بےقصور ہوں، پھر بھی محض دائمی عداوت کے سبب قدم قدم پر اسی طرح مجھے زخمی کرتے رہتے ہو۔
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical harm of hostile speech: even without physical violence, words can become ‘arrows’ that injure the blameless, and hatred makes such injury habitual. It implicitly upholds restraint, fairness, and accountability in speech as part of dharma.
Bhīṣma addresses an elder as ‘Pitāmaha’ and complains that he is being repeatedly attacked through harsh, cutting words despite having committed no offense, attributing the repeated verbal assaults to persistent hatred.