Shloka 12

नहुषोपाख्यानम्—दीपदान-धूप-बलीकर्म-प्रशंसा

Nahūṣa Episode and the Commendation of Lamp-Gifting and Household Offerings

Devanagari script

कस्यचित्‌ त्वथ कालस्य भाग्यक्षय उपस्थिते । सर्वमेतदवज्ञाय कृतवानिदमीदृशम्‌

Transliteration

kasyacit tv atha kālasya bhāgyakṣaya upasthite | sarvam etad avajñāya kṛtavān idam īdṛśam ||

Translation

Doch nach einiger Zeit, als der Augenblick gekommen war, da sein Glück sich erschöpfen sollte, missachtete er all diese Erwägungen und begann einen derart sündhaften Weg einzuschlagen.

Word by Word

• कस्यचित्: of someone / of a certain (person)
• कस्यचित्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: कस्यचित् (किम्-प्रातिपदिकस्य अनिर्दिष्ट-प्रयोगः)
• Form: masculine/neuter (contextual), genitive, singular

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

• अथ: then / now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• कालस्य: of time
• कालस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• भाग्य-क्षये: at the decline/destruction of fortune
• भाग्य-क्षये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग्य-क्षय
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• उपस्थिते: when (it was) present/arrived
• उपस्थिते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपस्थित (उप-स्था)
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• सर्वम्: all (this)
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• अवज्ञाय: having disregarded / having slighted
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-ज्ञा
• Form: absolutive (क्त्वा/ल्यप्)

• कृतवान्: he did / he performed
• कृतवान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: perfect periphrastic (लिट्-परस्मैपद-पर्यायः; कृतवान्-प्रयोगः), 3rd, singular, masculine, nominative

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदं
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• ईदृशम्: such / of this kind
• ईदृशम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When time turns and fortune wanes, ignoring sound counsel and ethical restraints leads one into sinful action; the verse highlights the moral danger of contempt for prior guidance, especially at critical turning points.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes a person who, after a period of prosperity, reaches a moment when his good fortune begins to fail; at that juncture he dismisses earlier considerations and initiates a wrongful deed, setting the stage for negative consequences.