Shloka 26

Ānṛśaṃsya–Bhakti: Śukaḥ Śakreṇa Parīkṣitaḥ

Compassion and Devotion—The Parrot Tested by Indra

Devanagari script

नाहसे मां सहस्राक्ष ट्रुमं त्याजयितुं चिरात्‌ समर्थमुपजीव्येमं त्यजेयं कथमद्य वै

Transliteration

nāhase māṃ sahasrākṣa drumam tyājayituṃ cirāt samartham upajīvyemaṃ tyajeyaṃ katham adya vai

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „O Sahasrākṣa (Indra), bemühe dich nicht, diesen Baum von mir zu trennen. Lange Zeit habe ich mein Leben erhalten, indem ich bei ihm Zuflucht nahm, als er stark war; wie könnte ich ihn heute verlassen, da er kraftlos geworden ist?“

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अहसे: I am able
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (अह्/अह्-धातु, ‘to be able/fit’)
• Form: Present, 1, Singular, Parasmaipada

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Common, Accusative, Singular

• सहस्राक्ष: O thousand-eyed (Indra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्राक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• द्रुमम्: tree
• द्रुमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• त्याजयितुम्: to cause (it) to be abandoned / to make (me) leave
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (णिच् causative: त्याजय-)
• Form: Infinitive (tumun), Causative

• चिरात्: after a long time / long since
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरात्

• समर्थम्: capable, strong
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उपजीव्य: having lived depending on (it)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-जीव्
• Form: Absolutive (ktvā/lyap), Parasmaipada

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• त्यजेयम्: I should abandon / would abandon
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज्
• Form: Optative (Potential), 1, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• अद्य: today, now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• वै: indeed, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Indra (Sahasrākṣa)
• tree (druma)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should not abandon a benefactor or support-system when it becomes weak; dharma includes gratitude and steadfast loyalty, especially toward those who once sustained us.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma addresses Indra (Sahasrākṣa), asking him not to try to separate him from a tree. Bhīṣma argues that since he long depended on it when it was strong, it would be unethical to leave it now that it is powerless.