Shloka 16

Devanagari script

रोहितस्तदभिज्ञाय पितु: कर्म चिकीर्षितम् । प्राणप्रेप्सुर्धनुष्पाणिररण्यं प्रत्यपद्यत ॥ १६ ॥

Transliteration

rohitas tad abhijñāya pituḥ karma cikīrṣitam prāṇa-prepsur dhanuṣ-pāṇir araṇyaṁ pratyapadyata

Translation

Rohita understood that his father meant to offer him as the sacrificial victim. Therefore, to save his life, he took up bow and arrows and departed for the forest.

Synonyms

• रोहितः: Rohita
• रोहितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अभिज्ञाय: having understood
• अभिज्ञाय: Kriya (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभाव) absolutive; ‘having understood/known’

• पितुः: of (his) father
• पितुः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध) एकवचन

• कर्म: act / deed
• कर्म: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन

• चिकीर्षितम्: intended (to be done)
• चिकीर्षितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: देशिदेरिवेटिव/इच्छार्थक कृदन्त (सन्नन्त-आधारित; ‘चिकीर्षित’ = to be done/intended to do); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्म (कर्म) विशेषणम्

• प्राण-प्रेप्सुः: desiring to save his life
• प्राण-प्रेप्सुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रेप्सु (कृदन्त; √आप्/आप्नु ‘to obtain’ desiderative sense)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (प्राणान् प्रेप्सुः = desiring life); विशेषणम्

• धनुः-पाणिः: bow-in-hand (armed with a bow)
• धनुः-पाणिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (धनुः पाणौ यस्य = having a bow in hand); कर्तृविशेषणम्

• अरण्यम्: to the forest
• अरण्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; गत्यर्थक क्रियायाः कर्म/गन्तव्य

• प्रत्यपद्यत: departed / went
• प्रत्यपद्यत: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-√पद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

Characters & Entities

• Rohita
• King Hariścandra

FAQs

Why did Rohita go to the forest in Srimad Bhagavatam 9.7.16?

Rohita understood that his father intended an act that would endanger him, so to protect his life he took his bow and fled to the forest.

Who is speaking Bhagavatam 9.7.16 and to whom?

Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks this verse while narrating the history of King Hariścandra to Mahārāja Parīkṣit.

What is the practical lesson of Bhagavatam 9.7.16 for modern life?

When confronted with harmful pressure—even from authority—one should seek a safe, dharmic course of action with clarity and courage, rather than blindly submitting to danger.