Shloka 13

Śiśupāla-vākya: Bhīṣma-nindā and the ‘Haṃsa’ Exemplum (शिशुपालवाक्यम् — भीष्मनिन्दा, हंसदृष्टान्तः)

Devanagari script

कर्माण्यपि च यान्यस्य जन्मप्रभूति धीमत:ः

Transliteration

karmāṇy api ca yāny asya janmaprabhūti dhīmataḥ

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Et aussi les actes de ce sage — ceux qu’il accomplit depuis le moment même de sa naissance — doivent être rapportés et considérés.»

Word by Word

• कर्माणि: deeds, actions
• कर्माणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

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

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• यानि: which (things)
• यानि: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• अस्य: of him, his
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (in compound), Singular

• प्रभूति: from (the time of), starting from
• प्रभूति: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभूति

• धीमतः: of the wise/intelligent (one)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A person’s moral and social worth is assessed through their actions across the whole span of life—beginning from birth—rather than by isolated claims or momentary appearances.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is continuing a description or appraisal of a particular ‘wise’ individual, indicating that the account should include the person’s notable deeds from birth onward as part of the larger deliberation.