Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 12

Bhīṣma’s Counsel on Reconciliation and Partition (भीष्मोपदेशः—संधि-राज्यविभागविचारः)

कर्तुमस्मद्विधै््रह्मूंस्ततो5यं न व्यवस्यते । पज्चानां महिषी कृष्णा भवत्विति कथंचन

kartum asmad-vidhair brahmanas tato 'yaṁ na vyavasyate | pañcānāṁ mahiṣī kṛṣṇā bhavatv iti kathaṁcana | dharmasya svarūpam atyanta-sūkṣmaṁ hone ke kāraṇa ham usakī gati ko sarvathā nahīṁ jānte; ataḥ yah kārya adharma hai yā dharma, isakā niścaya karanā ham-jaisē logoṁ ke liye asambhava hai | brahman! isīliye ham kisī tarah bhī aisī sammati nahīṁ de sakte ki rāja-kumārī kṛṣṇā pāṁc puruṣoṁ kī dharma-patnī ho

德里什塔迪尤姆那说:“婆罗门啊,像我们这样的人无法裁定此事。我们无论如何也不能同意让克里希纳(德劳帕蒂)成为五位男子的正后。达摩的真实本性极其微妙,我们并不完全知晓其行径;因此,我们不可能判定此举究竟是达摩还是非达摩。”

कर्तुम्to do, to make
कर्तुम्:
Karma
TypeVerb
Rootकृ
Formtumun (infinitive)
अस्मद्विधैःby people like us
अस्मद्विधैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् + विध
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
ब्रह्मन्O Brahman (sage)
ब्रह्मन्:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootब्रह्मन्
FormNeuter, Vocative, Singular
ततःtherefore, then
ततः:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः
अयम्this (person/thing)
अयम्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
व्यवस्यतेdecides, resolves
व्यवस्यते:
TypeVerb
Rootवि + अव + सि (व्यवस्)
FormPresent (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada
पञ्चानाम्of five
पञ्चानाम्:
TypeNoun
Rootपञ्च
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
महिषीchief queen, principal wife
महिषी:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमहिषी
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
कृष्णाKṛṣṇā (Draupadī)
कृष्णा:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकृष्णा
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
भवतुlet (her) be
भवतु:
TypeVerb
Rootभू
FormImperative (Lot), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
इतिthus (quotative)
इति:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति
कथंचनin any way, somehow
कथंचन:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथंचन

धष्टहुम्न उवाच

D
Dhṛṣṭadyumna
B
Brahmin (addressed)
K
Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī)
F
Five men (the Pāṇḍavas, implied)

Educational Q&A

The passage stresses that dharma is subtle and difficult to judge; therefore one should be cautious about endorsing actions whose moral status is uncertain—especially when they challenge established norms such as a woman being the wife of five men.

In the discussion surrounding Draupadī’s marriage, Dhṛṣṭadyumna expresses reluctance to approve the proposal that she become the principal wife of five men, arguing that the true course of dharma is too subtle for them to determine decisively.