Shloka 12

नहुषोपाख्यानम्—दीपदान-धूप-बलीकर्म-प्रशंसा

Nahūṣa Episode and the Commendation of Lamp-Gifting and Household Offerings

Devanagari script

कस्यचित्‌ त्वथ कालस्य भाग्यक्षय उपस्थिते । सर्वमेतदवज्ञाय कृतवानिदमीदृशम्‌

Transliteration

kasyacit tv atha kālasya bhāgyakṣaya upasthite | sarvam etad avajñāya kṛtavān idam īdṛśam ||

Translation

Pero, pasado algún tiempo, cuando llegó el momento en que su buena fortuna debía agotarse, despreció todas esas consideraciones y se dispuso a emprender una conducta tan pecaminosa.

Word by Word

• कस्यचित्: of someone / of a certain (person)
• कस्यचित्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: कस्यचित् (किम्-प्रातिपदिकस्य अनिर्दिष्ट-प्रयोगः)
• Form: masculine/neuter (contextual), genitive, singular

• तु: but / however
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• अथ: then / now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• कालस्य: of time
• कालस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• भाग्य-क्षये: at the decline/destruction of fortune
• भाग्य-क्षये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग्य-क्षय
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• उपस्थिते: when (it was) present/arrived
• उपस्थिते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपस्थित (उप-स्था)
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• सर्वम्: all (this)
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• अवज्ञाय: having disregarded / having slighted
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-ज्ञा
• Form: absolutive (क्त्वा/ल्यप्)

• कृतवान्: he did / he performed
• कृतवान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: perfect periphrastic (लिट्-परस्मैपद-पर्यायः; कृतवान्-प्रयोगः), 3rd, singular, masculine, nominative

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदं
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• ईदृशम्: such / of this kind
• ईदृशम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When time turns and fortune wanes, ignoring sound counsel and ethical restraints leads one into sinful action; the verse highlights the moral danger of contempt for prior guidance, especially at critical turning points.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes a person who, after a period of prosperity, reaches a moment when his good fortune begins to fail; at that juncture he dismisses earlier considerations and initiates a wrongful deed, setting the stage for negative consequences.