Shloka 7

The Thirteen Inner Adversaries (Trayodaśa Doṣāḥ): Origins and Pacification

Devanagari script

अहं त्वामभिजानामि विदितश्नचासि मे ट्रुम । पितामह: प्रजासर्गे त्वयि विश्रान्तवान्‌ प्रभु:

Transliteration

ahaṁ tvām abhijānāmi viditaś ca asi me drumā | pitāmahaḥ prajā-sarge tvayi viśrāntavān prabhuḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : « Je te reconnais parfaitement, ô arbre ; tu m’es entièrement connu. Lorsque le Seigneur, l’Aïeul Brahmā, était occupé à la création des êtres, il se reposa sous ton ombre. »

Word by Word

• {'ahaṁ': 'I', 'tvām': 'you (accusative singular)', 'abhijānāmi': 'I recognize

• I know clearly', 'viditaḥ': 'known

• understood', 'ca': 'and', 'asi': 'you are', 'me': 'to me

• by me', 'drumaḥ (drumā)': 'tree', 'pitāmahaḥ': 'the Grandfather (epithet of Brahmā)', 'prajā-sarge': 'in the creation of creatures/progeny', 'tvayi': 'in/on you

• with respect to you (locative)', 'viśrāntavān': 'rested

• took repose', 'prabhuḥ': 'the Lord

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Tree (Druma/Vṛkṣa)
• Prajā (created beings)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse affirms reverence for beings and places connected with sacred history: even a tree is treated as worthy of respect when associated with cosmic creation and the presence of Brahmā, highlighting dharma as recognition of sanctity and proper regard.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma addresses a tree directly, declaring that he knows it well and recalling a mythic detail: during the act of creating beings, Brahmā once rested in its shade, thereby marking the tree as venerable.