Shloka 23

Ānṛśaṃsya–Bhakti: Śukaḥ Śakreṇa Parīkṣitaḥ

Compassion and Devotion—The Parrot Tested by Indra

Devanagari script

किमनुक्रोश्य वैफल्यमुत्पादयसि मेडनघ । आनृशंस्याभियुक्तस्य भक्तस्यानन्यगस्य च

Transliteration

kim anukrośya vaiphalyam utpādayasi me dānagha | ānṛśaṁsyābhiyuktasya bhaktasyānanyagasya ca ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “O sinless one, why do you, out of misplaced pity, try to make my resolve fruitless? I am devoted to compassion and to this object of my devotion with undivided loyalty; therefore, do not attempt to render my good intention vain.”

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• अनुक्रोश्य: having pitied
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनुक्रुश्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), parasmaipada (usage), having shown compassion / having pitied

• वैफल्यम्: futility, fruitlessness
• वैफल्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैफल्यम्
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• उत्पादयसि: you produce, you cause
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-√पद् (उत्पादयति, causative of √पद्/√पद्-जनने; standard causative stem उत्पादय-)
• Form: present, 2, singular, parasmaipada

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: common, accusative, singular

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

• अघ: O sin (used as address; often in compounds like अनघ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघ
• Form: neuter, vocative, singular

• मे: my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: common, genitive, singular

• अनघ: O sinless one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनघ
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• आनृशंस्य: by compassion, by non-cruelty
• आनृशंस्य: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनृशंस्य
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• अभियुक्तस्य: of one engaged/intent (in)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-√युज्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), masculine, genitive, singular

• भक्तस्य: of a devoted one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्त
• Form: क्त (PPP from √भज्), masculine, genitive, singular

• अनन्यगस्य: of one who goes to none else / exclusive
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्यग
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Deva/Indra (implied by the Hindi gloss 'Devendra')
• tree (implied by the Hindi gloss 'vṛkṣa')

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Compassion (ānṛśaṁsya) and single-minded devotion should not be undermined by sentimental or misdirected pity; ethical intention must be protected from being made futile.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma addresses a revered figure (understood as Indra in the accompanying gloss) and resists being persuaded away from his compassionate, exclusive devotion—framing the persuasion as an attempt to make his resolve and goodwill fruitless.