Shloka 17

Adhyāya 59: On Giving to the Asker and Supporting the Non-asking (याचक-अयाचक-दाने धर्मः)

Devanagari script

भीष्मजी कहते हैं--भरतश्रेष्ठ! महात्मा च्यवन मुनिका यह वचन सुनकर धर्मात्मा राजा कुशिक बड़े प्रसन्न हुए और बोले, 'भगवन्‌! ऐसा ही हो” ।। च्यवनस्तु महातेजा: पुनरेव नराधिपम्‌ । वरार्थ चोदयामास तमुवाच स पार्थिव:,महातेजस्वी च्यवनने पुनः राजा कुशिकको वर माँगनेके लिये प्रेरित किया। तब वे भूपाल इस प्रकार बोले--

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca—bharataśreṣṭha! mahātmā cyavana-muner idaṃ vacanaṃ śrutvā dharmātmā rājā kuśikaḥ mahān praharṣam avāpa, uvāca ca—“bhagavan, evam eva bhavatu” iti. cyavanas tu mahātejāḥ punar eva narādhipaṃ varārthaṃ codayāmāsa; tam uvāca sa pārthivaḥ—

Translation

Bhishma said: “O best of the Bharatas! Hearing these words of the great sage Cyavana, the righteous King Kuśika was filled with joy and replied, ‘Revered sir, let it be exactly so.’ Then the radiant Cyavana again urged the lord of men to ask for a boon; and the king spoke to him as follows.”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'bharataśreṣṭha', 'definition': 'best among the Bharatas

• a respectful address to the listener (Yudhiṣṭhira)'}, {'term': 'mahātmā', 'definition': 'great-souled, noble-minded'}, {'term': 'cyavana (muni)', 'definition': 'the sage Cyavana'}, {'term': 'vacana', 'definition': 'speech, statement, words'}, {'term': 'śrutvā', 'definition': 'having heard'}, {'term': 'dharmātmā', 'definition': 'one whose nature is dharma

• righteous'}, {'term': 'rājā kuśikaḥ', 'definition': 'King Kuśika (a royal figure in the narrative)'}, {'term': 'praharṣa / praharṣam avāpa', 'definition': 'joy, delight

• attained great joy'}, {'term': 'bhagavan', 'definition': 'revered one

• honorific for a sage'}, {'term': 'evam eva bhavatu', 'definition': 'let it be exactly so

• an assent/acceptance'}, {'term': 'mahātejāḥ', 'definition': 'of great splendor/energy

• radiant, powerful'}, {'term': 'punar eva', 'definition': 'again, once more'}, {'term': 'narādhipa', 'definition': 'lord of men

• king'}, {'term': 'varārtha', 'definition': 'for the sake of a boon

• with the aim of granting/asking a boon'}, {'term': 'codayāmāsa', 'definition': 'urged, prompted, encouraged'}, {'term': 'pārthiva', 'definition': 'earthly ruler

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Cyavana (sage)
• King Kuśika
• Bharata lineage (as address: Bharataśreṣṭha)
• Narādhipa/Pārthiva (the king, i.e., Kuśika)