Shloka 56

आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः

Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca

Devanagari script

सतां साप्तपदं मैत्रं स सखा मे5सि पण्डित: । सांवास्यकं करिष्यामि नास्ति ते भयमद्य वै,'साधु पुरुषोंमें तो सात पग साथ-साथ चलनेसे ही मित्रता हो जाती है। हम और तुम तो यहाँ सदासे ही साथ रहते हैं; अतः तुम मेरे विद्वान्‌ मित्र हो। मैं इतने दिन साथ रहनेका अपना मित्रोचित धर्म अवश्य निभाऊँगा, इसलिये अब तुम्हें कोई भय नहीं है

Transliteration

satāṁ sāptapadaṁ maitraṁ sa sakhā me ’si paṇḍitaḥ | sāṁvāsyakaṁ kariṣyāmi nāsti te bhayam adya vai ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “Among the virtuous, friendship is sealed by merely taking seven steps together. Since you and I have long lived in close company here, you are my learned friend. I will certainly fulfill the duty owed to one who has shared my dwelling; therefore, from this day onward, you have nothing to fear.”

Word by Word

• {'satām': 'of the good/virtuous people', 'sāptapadam': 'the ‘seven-step’ (bond)

• taking seven steps together as a sign of firm companionship', 'maitram': 'friendship, amity', 'sakhā': 'friend, companion', 'me': 'to me, my', 'asi': 'you are', 'paṇḍitaḥ': 'learned, wise person', 'sāṁvāsyakam': 'duty/obligation arising from living together

• hospitality and protection owed to a co-dweller/guest', 'kariṣyāmi': 'I shall do, I will perform', 'nāsti': 'there is not', 'te': 'for you, to you', 'bhayam': 'fear, danger', 'adya': 'today, from now', 'vai': 'indeed, certainly (emphatic particle)'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True friendship among the virtuous is quickly established and then becomes a binding ethical obligation; one must honor the duties born of companionship—especially protection and reassurance—once a bond of shared life has formed.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma addresses someone he has been living with in close association, declares that their companionship itself has made them friends, and promises to uphold the obligations of that relationship, assuring the other person of safety and freedom from fear.