Shloka 5

Āpad-dharma and Discernment in Livelihood (आपद्धर्मे विज्ञानबलम्)

Devanagari script

षष्टिं वर्षसहस्राणि सो5तप्यद्‌ गौतमस्तप: । तमुग्रतपसा युक्त भावितं सुमहामुनिम्‌

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭiṁ varṣa-sahasrāṇi so 'tapyad gautamas tapaḥ | tam ugra-tapasā yuktaṁ bhāvitaṁ su-mahā-munim |

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : Pendant soixante mille ans, Gautama pratiqua les austérités. Doué d’une discipline ascétique farouche, ce grand sage—purifié et mûri spirituellement par son tapas—se dressait en modèle de maîtrise de soi et de puissance intérieure. (Dans la suite du récit, Yama, gardien de l’ordre moral, vient contempler l’ascète accompli.)

Word by Word

• षष्टिम्: sixty
• षष्टिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• वर्षसहस्राणि: thousands of years
• वर्षसहस्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्षसहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अतप्यत्: performed austerity / did penance
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• गौतमः: Gautama
• गौतमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उग्रतपसा: by fierce austerity
• उग्रतपसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उग्रतपस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• युक्तम्: endowed, engaged
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, Past passive participle (kta)

• भावितम्: purified, perfected
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भू
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, Past passive participle (kta)

• सुमहामुनिम्: the very great sage
• सुमहामुनिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुमहामुनि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Gautama

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sustained tapas (disciplined austerity) purifies and matures a person, generating inner authority and moral force; such self-restraint is presented as a foundation for dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes Gautama’s extraordinarily long austerities and his resulting spiritual refinement, setting the stage for the next event in which Yama (as guardian of dharma) comes to meet or observe the accomplished sage.