Shloka 6

Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā

Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative

Devanagari script

तस्मै विनिश्चितार्थाय परिपृष्टो<र्थनिश्चयम्‌ । उवाच ब्राह्मणो वाक्यमिदं हेतुमदुत्तमम्‌

Transliteration

tasmai viniścitārthāya paripṛṣṭo ’rthanścayam | uvāca brāhmaṇo vākyam idaṃ hetumad uttamam ||

Translation

Als der König—dessen Vorhaben fest beschlossen war und der eine klare Entscheidung darüber suchte, was zu tun sei—ihn befragte, erwiderte der Brahmane mit diesen vortrefflichen Worten, reich an begründeter Argumentation, und legte einen entschiedenen Handlungsweg dar.

Word by Word

• {'tasmai': 'to him

• for that person (dative singular)', 'viniścitārthāya': 'to one whose aim/meaning is firmly determined

• to one of settled purpose', 'paripṛṣṭaḥ': 'having been asked

• when questioned closely', 'artha-niścayam (’rthanścayam)': 'a determination/decision regarding the matter

• decisive conclusion about the issue at hand', 'uvāca': 'said

• spoke', 'brāhmaṇaḥ': 'the Brahmin (a learned priest/sage figure)', 'vākyam': 'speech

• utterance', 'idam': 'this', 'hetumat': 'endowed with reasons

• supported by arguments', 'uttamam': 'excellent

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (speaker)
• a king (rājā, unnamed in the verse)
• a Brahmin (brāhmaṇaḥ, unnamed in the verse)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should seek and accept counsel that is hetumat—grounded in clear reasoning—and aimed at artha-niścaya, a definite conclusion about right action, rather than acting from impulse or uncertainty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma narrates a scene where a king, wanting a firm decision about his duty, questions a Brahmin; the Brahmin then begins an excellent, well-reasoned reply that will guide the king’s course of action.