Shloka 17

Ānṛśaṃsya–Bhakti: Śukaḥ Śakreṇa Parīkṣitaḥ

Compassion and Devotion—The Parrot Tested by Indra

Devanagari script

निष्पत्रमफलं शुष्कमशरण्यं पतत्रिणाम्‌ | किमर्थ सेवसे वृक्ष यदा महदिदं वनम्‌

Transliteration

niṣpatram aphalaṃ śuṣkam aśaraṇyaṃ patatriṇām | kimarthaṃ sevase vṛkṣa yadā mahad idaṃ vanam ||

Translation

Dijo Bhishma: «¡Oh Shuka! Este árbol está sin hojas, sin fruto y reseco; ya no ofrece refugio a las aves. Si este vasto bosque se extiende por doquier, ¿por qué te acoges a este mero tocón?»

Word by Word

• निष्पत्रम्: leafless
• निष्पत्रम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्पत्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अफलम्: fruitless
• अफलम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अफल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• शुष्कम्: dry
• शुष्कम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुष्क
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अशरण्यम्: not fit as a refuge
• अशरण्यम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशरण्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पतत्रिणाम्: of birds
• पतत्रिणाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतत्रिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• किमर्थम्: for what reason? why?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किमर्थ

• सेवसे: you resort to / you frequent / you use
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव्
• Form: Present, Second, Singular, Atmanepada

• वृक्ष: O tree
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

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

• महत्: great, vast
• महत्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वनम्: forest
• वनम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Śuka
• vṛkṣa (tree)
• vanam (forest)
• patatriṇaḥ (birds)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should seek worthy support and wholesome company: clinging to what is barren, dried, and incapable of giving shelter or benefit is irrational when better, life-giving alternatives are available. The verse pushes discernment (viveka) in choosing one’s refuge—materially and morally.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma addresses Śuka and questions his choice of staying with or relying on a useless, withered tree that cannot provide leaves, fruit, or shelter for birds, despite the presence of a vast forest. The image functions as a moral prompt about why one would attach oneself to an unhelpful support.