Shloka 2

Śikhaṇḍī-janma-nigūḍha-vṛtta (The concealed birth-account of Śikhaṇḍī) | शिखण्डी-जन्म-निगूढ-वृत्त

Devanagari script

स यत्नमकरोत्‌ तीव्र सम्बन्धिन्यनुमानने । दूतैर्मधुरसम्भाषैर्न तदस्तीति संदिशन्‌

Transliteration

sa yatnam akarot tīvraṃ sambandhiny-anumānane | dūtair madhura-sambhāṣair na tad astīti saṃdiśan ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Er bemühte sich mit aller Kraft, seine Verwandte zu besänftigen und zu beruhigen, indem er Boten mit süßen, gefälligen Worten entsandte und ausrichten ließ: ‚So ist es nicht.‘“

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यत्नम्: effort
• यत्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अकरोत्: made / did
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत), प्रथम, एकवचन

• तीव्रम्: intense(ly) / strong
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीव्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सम्बन्धिनि: in the matter of relationship / regarding kinship
• सम्बन्धिनि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्बन्धिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• अनुमानने: in inferring / in ascertaining
• अनुमानने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुमानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• दूतैः: by messengers
• दूतैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• मधुर-सम्भाषैः: with sweet speeches
• मधुर-सम्भाषैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधुर (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भाष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निपात)

• तत्: that (thing)
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अस्ति: is / exists
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, एकवचन

• इति: thus (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (निपात)

• संदिशन्: sending word / conveying
• Type: Verb
• Root: संदिश् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• dūta (envoys/messengers)
• sambandhinī (a kinswoman; unnamed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical use of gentle, truthful-seeming speech and diplomatic intermediaries to preserve family bonds and avert conflict—conciliation (sāman) through courteous communication.

What is happening in the narrative?

A male figure (referred to as “he”) urgently tries to reassure a female relative, employing envoys who speak sweetly and deliver the denial “it is not so,” aiming to remove her suspicion and calm the situation.