Shloka 11

प्रजाविसर्ग-तत्त्वनिर्णयः | Cosmogony of Elemental Emergence

Bharadvāja–Bhṛgu Dialogue

Devanagari script

रात्र्यां रात्र्यां व्यतीतायामायुरल्पतरं यदा । गाधोदके मत्स्य इव सुखं विन्देत कस्तदा

Transliteration

rātryāṃ rātryāṃ vyatītāyām āyur alpataraṃ yadā | gāḍhodake matsya iva sukhaṃ vindeta kas tadā ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “As each night passes, life grows ever shorter. When one’s lifespan is thus steadily diminished, who could truly find happiness—like a fish struggling in deep water?”

Word by Word

• रात्र्याम्: in the night
• रात्र्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• रात्र्याम्: in the night (each night)
• रात्र्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• व्यतीतायाम्: having passed / when (it) has passed
• व्यतीतायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यतीत
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• आयुः: life-span
• आयुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अल्पतरम्: smaller / shorter (still)
• अल्पतरम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्पतर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• यदा: when
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा

• गाध-उदके: in shallow water
• गाध-उदके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाधोदक
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• मत्स्यः: a fish
• मत्स्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like / as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• सुखम्: happiness / comfort
• सुखम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विन्देत: might find / could obtain
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• fish (matsya)
• night (rātri)
• lifespan (āyus)