Shloka 17

Devanagari script

त॑ दृष्टवा पाण्डवं राजन्नभिवाद्याग्रत: स्थितम्‌ । अभ्यभाषत धर्मात्मा भीष्म: प्रीतो धनंजयम्‌,राजन! प्रणाम करके आगे खड़े हुए पाण्डुपुत्र अर्जुनको देखकर धर्मात्मा भीष्म बड़े प्रसन्न हुए और इस प्रकार बोले--

Transliteration

taṁ dṛṣṭvā pāṇḍavaṁ rājann abhivādya agrataḥ sthitam | abhyabhāṣata dharmātmā bhīṣmaḥ prīto dhanañjayam ||

Translation

大王啊，毗湿摩见般度之子阿周那行礼后立于面前——这位坚守法度（dharma）者心生欢喜，便对“掠财者”檀那阇耶（阿周那）说道——

Word by Word

तत्that (him/that one)

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

पाण्डवम्the Pandava (Arjuna)

राजन्O king

अभिवाद्यhaving saluted

अग्रतःin front

स्थितम्standing

अभ्यभाषतspoke to / addressed

धर्मात्माrighteous-souled

भीष्मःBhishma

प्रीतःpleased

धनंजयम्Dhananjaya (Arjuna)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīṣma

Arjuna (Pāṇḍava, Dhanañjaya)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'rājan')

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?

Even amid impending battle, dharmic conduct is shown through humility and proper respect: Arjuna’s salutation (abhivāda) exemplifies disciplined virtue, and Bhīṣma’s pleased response highlights that righteousness is recognized and honored even between opponents.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that Bhīṣma sees Arjuna standing before him after offering respectful obeisance; pleased, Bhīṣma then addresses Arjuna, setting a tone of solemn, ethical engagement before the conflict.