Shloka 8

Ānṛśaṃsya–Bhakti: Śukaḥ Śakreṇa Parīkṣitaḥ

Compassion and Devotion—The Parrot Tested by Indra

Devanagari script

निष्प्रचारो निराहारो ग्लान: शिथिलवागपि । कृतज्ञः: सह वृक्षेण धर्मात्मा सो5प्यशुष्यत

Transliteration

niṣpracāro nirāhāro glānaḥ śithilavāk api | kṛtajñaḥ saha vṛkṣeṇa dharmātmā so 'py aśuṣyat ||

Translation

Bhishma said: The righteous parrot, out of gratitude, ceased to move about and gave up taking food. Weak and languishing, his speech too grew feeble. Thus, remaining with that tree, he himself also began to wither along with it—an ethical image of steadfast loyalty and gratefulness even in hardship.

Word by Word

• निष्प्रचारः: one who does not move about / inactive
• निष्प्रचारः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्प्रचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निराहारः: without food / fasting
• निराहारः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निराहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ग्लानः: weary / exhausted
• ग्लानः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्लान (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √ग्लै)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शिथिलवाक्: having feeble speech
• शिथिलवाक्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिथिलवाक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also / even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• कृतज्ञः: grateful
• कृतज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• वृक्षेण: with the tree
• वृक्षेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• धर्मात्मा: righteous-souled one
• धर्मात्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also / even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अशुष्यत्: withered / dried up
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शुष् (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• dharmātmā (the righteous one; here, the parrot)
• vṛkṣa (tree)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṛtajñatā (gratitude) as a dharmic virtue: one should remember and honor benefactors, remaining loyal even when circumstances turn painful, rather than abandoning them for self-interest.

What is happening in the narrative?

A righteous parrot stays with a tree to which he is grateful. As the tree dries up, the parrot stops roaming, stops eating, becomes too weak to speak, and withers along with the tree—showing steadfast attachment born of gratitude.