Shloka 53

Dāyavibhāga (Inheritance Apportionment) and Household Precedence — Dialogue of Yudhiṣṭhira and Bhīṣma

Devanagari script

लिखन्त्येव तु केषांचिदपरेषां शनैरपि । इति ये संवदन्त्यत्र त एतं॑ निश्चयं विदु:

Transliteration

likhanty eva tu keṣāṃcid apareṣāṃ śanair api | iti ye saṃvadanty atra te etam niścayaṃ viduḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dijo: «Unos lo consignan por escrito de inmediato, mientras que otros lo hacen sólo poco a poco. Quienes aquí discuten este asunto acaban por conocer esta determinación definitiva.»

Word by Word

• लिखन्ति: they write / they record
• लिखन्ति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिख्
• Form: Lat (Present), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

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

• केषांचित्: of some (people)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क (प्रातिपदिक: किम्-शब्द)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• अपरेषाम्: of others
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: अपर
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• शनैः: slowly, gradually
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैः

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• इति: thus, 'so'
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• संवदन्ति: they dispute, they argue
• संवदन्ति: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + वद्
• Form: Lat (Present), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• अत्र: here, in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• एतम्: this
• एतम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• निश्चयम्: decision, conclusion
• निश्चयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निश्चय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विदुः: they know, they have ascertained
• विदुः: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Lit (Perfect), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma notes that authorities differ in procedure and interpretation, but dharma is to be settled by arriving at a clear niścaya (final determination) after examining competing views—especially in sensitive matters like marriage-rites and their legal-ethical consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma is addressing contested opinions about marital procedure and validity; he remarks that some authorities document or formalize rules differently, yet those who debate the issue ultimately converge on a definitive conclusion.