Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 6

Go-apahāra (Cattle Theft), Go-dāna (Cow-Gift), and Suvarṇa-dakṣiṇā (Gold Fee): Karmic Consequence and Purificatory Merit

खमावृत्योदपानस्य कृकलास: स्थितो महान्‌ । तस्य नास्ति समुद्धर्तेत्येतत्‌ कृष्णे न्‍्यवेदयन्‌

kham āvṛtyodapānasya kṛkalāsaḥ sthito mahān | tasya nāsti samuddhartety etat kṛṣṇe nyavedayan |

Bhīṣma dit : «Un énorme lézard est coincé dans un puits, étendu de telle sorte qu’il couvre tout le morceau de ciel visible depuis le fond. Et pourtant, nul ne peut le soulever pour l’en tirer.» Ainsi rapportèrent-ils l’affaire à Kṛṣṇa.

खम्sky/space
खम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootख (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
आवृत्यhaving covered/occupying
आवृत्य:
TypeVerb
Rootआ-√वृ (धातु)
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Active
उदपानस्यof the well
उदपानस्य:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootउदपान (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
कृकलासःa lizard
कृकलासः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकृकलास (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
स्थितःsituated/standing
स्थितः:
TypeVerb
Root√स्था (धातु)
Formक्त (past passive participle, used adjectivally), Masculine, Nominative, Singular
महान्great/huge
महान्:
TypeAdjective
Rootमहत् (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तस्यfor him/of him
तस्य:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (निपात)
अस्तिthere is
अस्ति:
TypeVerb
Root√अस् (धातु)
FormPresent (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
समुद्धर्ताone who can lift out/rescuer
समुद्धर्ता:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसम्-उद्-√हृ (धातु)
Formतृच् (agent noun), Masculine, Nominative, Singular
इतिthus/quoting
इति:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (निपात)
एतत्this (statement)
एतत्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootएतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
कृष्णेto/with regard to Kṛṣṇa
कृष्णे:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootकृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
न्यवेदयन्he informed/communicated
न्यवेदयन्:
TypeVerb
Rootनि-√विद् (धातु)
FormImperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhishma
K
Krishna
U
udapāna (well)
K
kṛkalāsa (lizard/gecko)
K
kha (sky/opening of the well)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights compassion and duty toward beings in distress: when someone (even an animal) is trapped and cannot be saved by ordinary effort, one should still seek help from those with greater capacity—implying that power and ability carry responsibility.

A report is made to Krishna about a huge lizard stuck in a well, so large it seems to cover the well’s visible sky; the speakers emphasize that no ordinary person can extract it, prompting an appeal to Krishna as the capable rescuer.