Mahabharata · 7.4.10–11
॥
Devanāgarī
भवान् पौत्रसमो ऽस्माकं यथा दुर्योधनस् तथा ॥
तवापि धर्मतः सर्वे यथा तस्य वयं तथा ॥
यौनात् संबन्धकाल् लोके विशिष्टं संगतं सताम् ॥
सद्भिः सह नरश्रेष्ठ प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
bhavān pautrasamo 'smākaṃ yathā duryodhanas tathā ||
tavāpi dharmataḥ sarve yathā tasya vayaṃ tathā ||
yaunāt saṃbandhakāl loke viśiṣṭaṃ saṃgataṃ satām ||
sadbhiḥ saha naraśreṣṭha pravadanti manīṣiṇaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
भवान्bhavānyou [honored one]; [you,] sir
पौत्रसमःpautrasamaḥlike a grandson; [to us] as a grandson
अस्माकम्asmākamto us; for us
यथाyathāas; just as
दुर्योधनःduryodhanaḥDuryodhana
तथाtathāso too; in the same way
तवtavayours; [and] for you
अपिapialso; too
धर्मतःdharmataḥby dharma; by right
सर्वेsarveall [of us]; all
यथाyathāas; just as
तस्यtasyahis [Duryodhana's]; to him
वयम्vayamwe; [precisely] we
तथाtathāso too; in the same way
यौनात्yaunāt[than] from marriage [kinship]; than the bonds of marriage
संबन्धकात्saṃbandhakāt[than] from [blood] connection; than affinity by marriage
लोकेlokein the world; in [this] world
विशिष्टम्viśiṣṭamhigher [superior]; especially [prized]
संगतम्saṃgatamunion [bond]; fellowship
सताम्satāmof the good; of the righteous
सद्भिःsadbhiḥwith the good; with the righteous
सहsahatogether; [in union] with
नरश्रेष्ठnaraśreṣṭhaO best of men (address to Karna); O most excellent of men
प्रवदन्तिpravadantiproclaim; call
मनीषिणःmanīṣiṇaḥthe wise; the discerning
Translation
[Bhishma:] You are to us like a grandson, just as Duryodhana is; and by dharma all of us are yours, just as we belong to him. The union of the good with the good, O best of men, the wise proclaim to be more precious in this world than the bonds of marriage and of blood kinship.
Version
2830159510e6 · published Jul 19, 2026, 2:46:26 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Bhishma affirms a higher kinship — a union of the good through virtue, which stands above the bonds of blood: not birth but righteousness and valor make a man one's own. By this he adopts Karna in spirit, healing the wound of his obscure birth. It is a profound thought that closeness through dharma is stronger than closeness through flesh: blood kin may become enemies, while those bound by truth remain one. The verse teaches that true kinship lies not in shared blood but in shared virtue; that the good recognize the good as their own, regardless of caste and origin; and that in a world where the blood ties of the Kuru line are perishing, the only lasting bond is the kinship of souls founded on truth — though here, alas, this lofty truth serves to seal an alliance for an unrighteous cause.