Shloka 17

Devanagari script

जग्राह वध्या देवेन्द्र सुलगना चाभवत्‌ तदा । स हि तस्मिन्‌ समुत्पन्ने ब्रह्म॒वध्याकृते भये

Transliteration

jagrāha vadhyā devendra sulagnā cābhavat tadā | sa hi tasmin samutpanne brahmavadhyākṛte bhaye

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “Then the Brahma-slaying curse (Brahmahatyā), destined to strike down its target, seized Indra and clung fast to him. For when that fear—born of the deed of Brahmin-slaying—arose, it took hold of him.”

Word by Word

• जग्राह: seized, took hold
• जग्राह: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, singular, Parasmaipada

• वध्या: to be slain / fit to be killed
• वध्या: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वध्य
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• देवेन्द्र: O Indra (lord of the gods)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेन्द्र
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• सुलगना: closely attached / clinging
• सुलगना: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुलग्ना
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

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

• अभवत्: became, was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, singular, Parasmaipada

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

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• तस्मिन्: in that (situation/person)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, locative, singular

• समुत्पन्ने: arisen, having occurred
• समुत्पन्ने: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समुत्पन्न
• Form: masculine/neuter, locative, singular

• ब्रह्मवध्याकृते: caused by brahma-slaying (brahmahatyā)
• ब्रह्मवध्याकृते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मवध्याकृत
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• भये: in fear
• भये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Indra (Devendra)
• Brahmahatyā (fear/curse born of Brahmin-slaying)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the highest authority is not exempt from moral causality: a grave transgression like Brahmin-slaying generates an inescapable fear/taint (Brahmahatyā) that ‘clings’ to the doer until addressed through rightful means.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes the moment when the fear/curse arising from Brahmahatyā manifests and attaches itself to Indra, portraying the transgression’s immediate ethical and psychological consequence as something that seizes and adheres to its agent.