Shloka 15

Nirmaryāda-saṃgrāma-varṇana — The Unbounded Clash and Bhīṣma’s Rallying Presence

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार श्रीमहाभारत भीष्मपर्वके श्रीमद्भगवद्‌गीतापवकिे अन्तर्गत ब्रह्मविद्या एवं योगशासत्ररूप श्रीमद्भगगवद्‌गीतोपनिषद्‌

Transliteration

ādyo 'bhijanavān asmi ko 'nyo 'sti sadṛśo mayā | yakṣye dāsyāmi modiṣya ity ajñāna-vimohitāḥ ||

Translation

他们为无明所惑，便想：“我出身高贵；我富有。谁能与我相等？我将行祭祀（yajña），我将施与，我将享乐。”于是沉醉于自负，追逐外在的仪式与欲乐，却无真实的自性辨识，也不明白应当统摄行为的道德法则（达摩）。

Word by Word

• {'ādyaḥ': 'first

• pre-eminent', 'abhijanavān': 'of noble lineage

• high-born', 'asmi': 'I am', 'kaḥ': 'who?', 'anyaḥ': 'another

• anyone else', 'asti': 'is

• exists', 'sadṛśaḥ': 'equal

• similar', 'mayā': 'to/with me

• than me (in comparison)', 'yakṣye': 'I shall sacrifice

• I shall perform a yajña', 'dāsyāmi': 'I shall give

• I shall donate', 'modiṣye': 'I shall rejoice

• I shall enjoy', 'iti': 'thus

• thinking/saying', 'ajñāna': 'ignorance

• lack of true knowledge', 'vimohitāḥ': 'bewildered

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse critiques the moral blindness produced by ego and ignorance: pride in birth and wealth leads one to boast, seek status through sacrifice and charity, and chase enjoyment, while missing inner discernment and humility that make actions truly dharmic.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the broader Bhagavad Gita discourse within Bhishma Parva, this line describes the mindset of deluded people who measure worth by social rank and possessions, asserting superiority and planning ritual acts and pleasures as self-display rather than as disciplined, ethically grounded action.