Shloka 5

आपद्धर्मे कोशबलन्यायः | Treasury, Force, and Crisis-Ethics for the King

Devanagari script

अदूरादाश्रमं कज्चिद्‌ वासार्थमगमं तदा

Transliteration

adūrād āśramaṃ kaścid vāsārtham agamaṃ tadā |

Translation

قال بهيشما: «ثم، غير بعيدٍ من هناك، قصدتُ صومعةً أبتغي فيها مقامًا. فرأيتُ ناسكًا جليلًا من أهل التَّقشُّف يُدعى تَنو يقترب—مرتديًا ثيابًا من لحاء الشجر وجلدَ غزال. كان جسده بالغَ الطول، شديدَ الهزال.»

Word by Word

• अदूरात्: from nearby / not far away
• अदूरात्: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अदूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (पञ्चमी-अर्थे: 'from not far')

• आश्रमम्: hermitage
• आश्रमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कञ्चित्: some / a certain
• कञ्चित्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (अनिश्चित)

• वासार्थम्: for dwelling / for lodging
• वासार्थम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयुक्तम्: 'for the purpose of')

• अगमम्: I went
• अगमम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (अङ्-आगम), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• āśrama (hermitage)
• ṛṣi Tanu
• cīra (bark-garment)
• mṛgacarma (deer-skin)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets an ethical frame: true spiritual authority is marked by austerity and simplicity. By introducing an emaciated, disciplined sage, the narrative signals that forthcoming counsel is grounded in tapas (self-restraint) rather than worldly power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates that he goes to a nearby hermitage to stay and encounters the ascetic sage Tanu, identifiable by bark-garments and deer-skin and by his tall, extremely lean body—preparing the scene for instruction or dialogue.