Shloka 99
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
Devanagari script
इदानीं तावदेवासौ मया दृष्ट: कथं मृत:
Transliteration
idānīṃ tāvad evāsau mayā dṛṣṭaḥ kathaṃ mṛtaḥ
Translation
قال بهيشما: «لقد رأيته للتو بعينيّ—فكيف يمكن إذن أن يكون قد مات؟»
Word by Word
इदानीम्now
इदानीम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइदानीम्
तावत्so long; for the time being
तावत्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतावत्
एवindeed; just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
असौthat (person)
असौ:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअसद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिकम्)
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
मयाby me
मया:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिकम्)
Forminstrumental, singular
दृष्टःseen
दृष्टः:
TypeVerb
Rootदृश्
Formmasculine, nominative, singular, क्त (past passive participle)
कथम्how
कथम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम्
मृतःdead; having died
मृतः:
TypeVerb
Rootमृ
Formmasculine, nominative, singular, क्त (past passive participle)
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and epistemic tension between direct perception (what one has personally seen) and reports or assumptions about events. It cautions that judgments—especially about life-and-death matters—should not be made lightly when evidence is uncertain.
Bhīṣma expresses disbelief at news or an implication of someone’s death, insisting that he has just seen that person. The line functions as a moment of narrative doubt, prompting clarification of what truly occurred.