Shloka 70

Śrāddha-Kalpa: Pitṛ-Pūjā and Tithi-Phala (श्राद्धकल्पः पितृपूजा च तिथिफलम्)

Devanagari script

तस्मात्‌ प्रसाद भगवन्‌ कर्तुमहसि नः प्रभो । न देव्यां सम्भवेत्‌ पुत्रो भवत: सुरसत्तम । धैयदिव निगृह्लीष्व तेजो ज्वलितमुत्तमम्‌,“अतः भगवन्‌! हमपर कृपा कीजिये। प्रभो! सुरश्रेष्ठ! हम यही चाहते हैं कि देवी पार्वतीके गर्भसे आपके कोई पुत्र न हो। आप धैर्यसे ही अपने प्रज्वलित उत्तम तेजको भीतर ही रोक लीजिये”

Transliteration

tasmāt prasāda bhagavan kartum arhasi naḥ prabho | na devyāṁ sambhavet putro bhavataḥ surasattama | dhairyād iva nigṛhṇīṣva tejo jvalitam uttamam ||

Translation

قال بهيشما: «فلذلك، يا ربَّ البركة، تفضّل علينا برحمتك، يا مولاي. يا خيرَ الآلهة، لا تجعلْ للآلهةِ ولدًا يولد لك من الإلهة. وبثباتِ كبحِ النفس، احبسْ في ذاتك تلك الطاقةَ العظمى المتّقدة.»

Word by Word

• {'tasmāt': 'therefore, for that reason', 'prasāda': 'grace, favor, compassionate assent', 'bhagavan': 'O Blessed One

• venerable Lord', 'kartum arhasi': 'you ought to do

• you are fit to do', 'naḥ': 'for us

• to us', 'prabho': 'O Lord, O master', 'na': 'not', 'devyām': 'in/through the Goddess (locative)

• here, Pārvatī', 'sambhavet': 'may arise

• may be born', 'putraḥ': 'son', 'bhavataḥ': 'of you

• your', 'surasattama': 'best of the gods', 'dhairyāt': 'from firmness/steadfastness

• by self-control', 'iva': 'as it were

• indeed (emphatic nuance)', 'nigṛhṇīṣva': 'restrain, hold back, check (imperative)', 'tejaḥ': 'radiance, fiery energy, spiritual power', 'jvalitam': 'blazing, aflame', 'uttamam': 'supreme, excellent'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Bhagavān (the Lord addressed, i.e., Śiva in this context)
• Devī (Pārvatī)
• putra (a prospective son)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dhairya (steadfast self-restraint) as an ethical and spiritual ideal: even supreme power (tejas) should be governed and contained when its outward expression could disturb the welfare and balance of the world.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma addresses the Lord with a plea for grace, asking that no son be born from the Goddess (Pārvatī) and requesting the Lord to restrain his blazing energy—reflecting concern that an unchecked divine manifestation could have overwhelming consequences.