Mahabharata · 2.41.22–23
॥
Devanāgarī
इच्छतः सा हि सिंहस्य भीष्म जीवत्य् असंशयम् ॥
तद्वत् त्वम् अप्य् अधर्मज्ञ सदा वाचः प्रभाषसे ॥
इच्छतां पार्थिवेन्द्राणां भीष्म जीवस्य् असंशयम् ॥
लोकविद्विष्टकर्मा हि नान्यो ऽस्ति भवता समः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
icchataḥ sā hi siṃhasya bhīṣma jīvaty asaṃśayam ||
tadvat tvam apy adharmajña sadā vācaḥ prabhāṣase ||
icchatāṃ pārthivendrāṇāṃ bhīṣma jīvasy asaṃśayam ||
lokavidviṣṭakarmā hi nānyo 'sti bhavatā samaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
इच्छतः सा हि सिंहस्यicchataḥ sā hi siṃhasya"only by the lion's will does it
भीष्म जीवत्य् असंशयम्bhīṣma jīvaty asaṃśayamO Bhishma, live, without doubt;
तद्वत् त्वम् अप्य् अधर्म-ज्ञtadvat tvam apy adharma-jñajust so you too, O ignorant of dharma,
सदा वाचः प्रभाषसेsadā vācaḥ prabhāṣasealways utter such [insolent] speech;
इच्छतां पार्थिव-इन्द्राणांicchatāṃ pārthiva-indrāṇāṃonly by the will of the lordly kings,
भीष्म जीवस्य् असंशयम्bhīṣma jīvasy asaṃśayamO Bhishma, you live, without doubt;
लोक-विद्विष्ट-कर्मा हिloka-vidviṣṭa-karmā hifor in deeds hated by the world
न अन्यो अस्ति भवता समःna anyo asti bhavatā samaḥthere is none other equal to you".
अधर्मज्ञadharmajñaoriginal form "adharmajña", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पार्थिवेन्द्राणांpārthivendrāṇāṃoriginal form "pārthivendrāṇāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
लोकविद्विष्टकर्माlokavidviṣṭakarmāoriginal form "lokavidviṣṭakarmā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नान्योnānyooriginal form "nānyo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽस्ति'stioriginal form "'sti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Only by the lion's will does it live, O Bhishma, without doubt; just so you too, O one ignorant of dharma, always speak such insolent words. Only by the will of these lordly kings do you live, O Bhishma, without doubt; for there is no other equal to you in deeds hated by the world."
Version
f2c899a4681b · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:49:21 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Shishupala imagines Bhishma alive only "by the will of kings" — like a bird by a lion's mercy. It is telling how deceptive this measure is: he supposes the righteous man's life depends on the crowd's forbearance, whereas it is the Lord who preserves him, not kings. The verse teaches that one who fears men sees the same fear in others; whoever lives by another's sufferance imagines that everyone lives so. But Bhishma does not fear kings, for he fears God alone; and one who has entrusted his life to the Lord does not depend on the will of mortals. A threat meant to terrify is powerless over a heart that long ago gave itself to the Most High.