Shloka 70

आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः

Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca

Devanagari script

विधास्ये प्राप्तकालं यत्‌ कार्य सिद्धिकरं विभो । मयि कृच्छाद्‌ विनिर्मुक्ते न विनड्क्ष्यति ते कृतम्‌

Transliteration

vidhāsye prāptakālaṃ yat kārya-siddhikaraṃ vibho | mayi kṛcchād vinirmukte na vinaṅkṣyati te kṛtam ||

Translation

Bhishma dijo: «Oh señor poderoso, cuando llegue el tiempo oportuno, cualquier acción que conduzca al cumplimiento de tu propósito—la haré sin falta. Cuando me vea libre de esta angustia, el favor que me has mostrado no se perderá; sin duda te lo retribuiré».

Word by Word

• {'vidhāsye': 'I shall do

• I shall carry out (future, 1st person singular)', 'prāptakālam': 'at the time that has arrived

• when the right occasion comes', 'yat': 'whatever

• that which', 'kārya': 'a task

• duty/action to be undertaken', 'siddhikaraṃ': 'bringing success/attainment

• accomplishing', 'vibho': 'O powerful one

• O lord (vocative of vibhu)', 'mayi': 'in/with regard to me', 'kṛcchāt': 'from hardship, distress, difficulty', 'vinirmukte': 'when (I am) released/freed (locative absolute sense)', 'na': 'not', 'vinaṅkṣyati': 'will perish

• will come to nothing', 'te': 'your', 'kṛtam': 'what has been done

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• vibhu (addressed lord; unspecified in the verse)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical reciprocity: one should not let a benefactor’s help become ‘wasted’ but should respond with timely, purposeful action and gratitude, especially after overcoming personal hardship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma addresses a powerful lord, assuring him that when the right moment comes he will perform whatever deed is needed to accomplish the lord’s aim; once Bhīṣma is released from his present distress, he vows that the benefaction shown to him will not go unrepaid.