Shloka 11

Devanagari script

प्रहरेन्न त्वविज्ञाय हत्वा शत्रूनू न शोचयेत्‌ । क्रोधं कुर्यान्न चाकस्मान्मृदुः स्यान्नापकारिषु,३३-बिना जाने किसीपर प्रहार न करे। ३४-शत्रुओंको मारकर शोक न करे। ३५- अकस्मात्‌ किसीपर क्रोध न करे तथा ३६-कोमल हो, परंतु अपकार करनेवालोंके लिये नहीं

Transliteration

praharenna tv avijñāya hatvā śatrūn na śocayet | krodhaṃ kuryān na cākasmān mṛduḥ syān nāpakāriṣu ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: Chớ ra tay khi chưa hiểu rõ sự tình. Đã giết kẻ thù thì đừng chìm trong sầu não. Đừng nổi giận bất chợt, vô cớ. Và hãy mềm mỏng—nhưng không phải với kẻ làm điều ác, kẻ gây hại.

Word by Word

प्रहरेत्should strike/attack

नnot

तुbut

अविज्ञायwithout knowing/without ascertaining

हत्वाhaving slain

शत्रून्enemies

नnot

शोचयेत्should grieve/should lament

क्रोधम्anger

कुर्यात्should do/make

नnot

चand

आकस्मात्suddenly/without cause

मृदुःgentle/soft

स्यात्should be

नnot

अपकारिषुtowards wrongdoers/harm-doers

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

enemies (śatravaḥ)

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?

Act with discernment and restraint: verify before using force, do not be consumed by remorse after necessary battle, avoid causeless anger, and practice gentleness tempered by firmness toward harm-doers.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct, Bhīṣma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira principles of disciplined action and emotional control suited to governance and conflict.