Shloka 33

Devanagari script

विचित्रवीर्यों ब्रह्मर्षे तथा मेडवरज: सुत: । यथैव पितृतो भीष्मस्तथा त्वमपि मातृत:,“विद्वन! माता और पिता दोनोंसे पुत्रोंका जन्म होता है, अत: उनपर दोनोंका समान अधिकार है। जैसे पिता पुत्रोंका स्वामी है, उसी प्रकार माता भी है। इसमें संदेह नहीं है। ब्रह्मर्ष! विधाताके विधान या मेरे पूर्वजन्मोंके पुण्यसे जिस प्रकार तुम मेरे प्रथम पुत्र हो, उसी प्रकार विचित्रवीर्य मेरा सबसे छोटा पुत्र था। जैसे एक पिताके नाते भीष्म उसके भाई हैं, उसी प्रकार एक माताके नाते तुम भी विचित्रवीर्यके भाई ही हो। बेटा! मेरी तो ऐसी ही मान्यता है; फिर तुम जैसा समझो। ये सत्यपराक्रमी शान्तनुनन्दन भीष्म सत्यका पालन कर रहे हैं

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

vicitravīryo brahmarṣe tathā meḍhāvarajaḥ sutaḥ |

yathaiva pitṛto bhīṣmas tathā tvam api mātṛtaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: “Hỡi bậc Phạm tiên, Vicitravīrya là người con út của ta. Như Bhīṣma là anh em của nó theo dòng cha, thì ngài cũng là anh em của nó theo dòng mẹ.”

Word by Word

विचित्रवीर्यःVichitravirya

ब्रह्मर्षेO brahmarshi (great seer)

तथाthus/so; likewise

मेडवरजःborn of Meda (Meda-born)

सुतःson

यथाas/just as

एवindeed/just

पितृतःfrom the father; on the father's side

भीष्मःBhishma

तथाso; likewise

त्वम्you

अपिalso/even

मातृतःfrom the mother; on the mother's side

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vicitravīrya

Bhīṣma

Brahmarṣi (addressed sage)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse affirms that kinship and the resulting obligations are valid through both paternal and maternal lines. Ethically, it supports the idea that rights and duties in a family are not exclusively ‘from the father’; the mother’s relation also establishes real brotherhood and responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker (reported by Vaiśampāyana) identifies Vicitravīrya as the youngest son and clarifies relationships: Bhīṣma is Vicitravīrya’s brother through their father, and the addressed person is likewise Vicitravīrya’s brother through their mother. This framing is used to justify expectations of familial duty based on shared parentage.