Shanti Parva Adhyaya 141 Shloka 62 - Mahabharata | Chinese | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 62

Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā

Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative

Devanagari script

गृध्रदृष्टिबकालीन: श्वचेष्ट: सिंहविक्रम: । अनुद्विग्द: काकशड्की भुजड़रितं चरेत्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | gṛdhradṛṣṭir bakālīnaḥ śvacēṣṭaḥ siṃhavikramaḥ | anudvignaḥ kākaśaṅkī bhujaṅgaritaṃ caret ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：“君王当如鹫鸟般远望，如鹭鸶般凝神定准其的，如犬般警觉，如狮般显其勇烈。不可让躁动占据心神；当如乌鸦般多疑而谨慎，察看他人的动向；又如蛇潜入他穴，窥见敌之破绽，便从那缺口猛然一击。”

Word by Word

गृध्रदृष्टिःhaving vulture-like sight (far-seeing)

बकालीनःlike a crane (fixed on the target)

श्वचेष्टःacting like a dog (alert/watchful)

सिंहविक्रमःhaving lion-like valor

अनुद्विग्नःunagitated, not anxious

काकशङ्कीsuspicious like a crow (cautious)

भुजगःa serpent

अरितम्enemy (as object of action)

चरेत्should act / should conduct himself

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

king (rājā)

vulture (gṛdhra)

crane (baka)

dog (śvan)

lion (siṃha)

crow (kāka)

serpent (bhujaṅga)

enemy (śatru, implied)

burrow/hole (bila, implied)

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?

Bhishma teaches that a ruler must combine foresight, focused attention, vigilance, courage, emotional steadiness, and cautious intelligence—then act decisively by identifying and exploiting an opponent’s weakness, without being driven by agitation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rāja-dharma, Bhishma advises Yudhiṣṭhira on practical qualities of kingship, using animal metaphors to describe how a king should observe, plan, remain alert, and respond to threats.