Shloka 52

Drupada’s Alarm and Inquiry Regarding Śikhaṇḍinī (द्रुपदस्य भय-विमर्शः)

Devanagari script

स्थूणस्तु शापं सम्प्राप्य तत्रैव न्‍्यवसत्‌ तदा । समये चागमत्‌ तूर्ण शिखण्डी तं क्षपाचरम्‌

Transliteration

sthūṇas tu śāpaṃ samprāpya tatraiva nyavasat tadā | samaye cāgamat tūrṇaṃ śikhaṇḍī taṃ kṣapācaram ||

Translation

وأمّا سثوṇاكَرṇa، فلما ناله اللعنُ أقام هناك في ذلك الموضع. ثم لما جاء الوقتُ المعيَّن أقبل شيخاندِي مسرعًا إلى ذلك الكائنِ الساري في الليل.

Word by Word

• स्थूणः: Sthūṇa (the demon/person named Sthūṇa)
• स्थूणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थूण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• शापम्: a curse
• शापम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सम्प्राप्य: having obtained/received
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• न्यवसत्: dwelt/stayed
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√वस् (वस् धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तदा: then/at that time
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• समये: at the appointed time
• समये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अगमत्: came/went
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (गम् धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तूर्णम्: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)

• शिखण्डी: Śikhaṇḍī
• शिखण्डी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखण्डिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तम्: him/that (person)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• क्षपाचरम्: night-roamer (demon)
• क्षपाचरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षपाचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Śikhaṇḍī
• Sthūṇākarṇa
• Kubera

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Actions and moral breaches can crystallize into unavoidable consequences (śāpa/karma), and once a consequence is set, events unfold with a sense of appointed timing; ethical causality and time-bound destiny converge.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates that Sthūṇākarṇa, after receiving Kubera’s curse, stays in the same place; then Śikhaṇḍī arrives quickly at the predetermined time to meet that nocturnal being.