Shloka 1

कालनिर्णयः, युगधर्मवर्णनम्, सृष्टिक्रमश्च

Time-Reckoning, Yuga-Dharma, and the Sequence of Creation

Devanagari script

(दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठके २ श्लोक मिलाकर कुल ३२ श्लोक हैं) अपन प्रात बछ। अर: - शम्याक्षेप कहते हैं शम्यापातको। “शम्या” एक ऐसे काठके डंडेको कहते हैं

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | punar eva tu taṃ śakraḥ prahasann idam abravīt | niḥśvasantaṃ yathā nāgaṃ pravyāhārāya bhārata ||

Translation

Bhishma dit : Ô Bharata, alors Indra (Śakra), souriant comme pour étaler sa propre supériorité, s’adressa de nouveau à Bali—qui sifflait tel un serpent, reprenant son souffle dans la colère et se préparant à répondre. La scène met en place une tension morale : l’orgueil et la provocation d’un côté ; de l’autre, l’affirmation maîtrisée mais puissante de la vérité et de la force du Temps.

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• तु: but/and
• तु: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

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

• शक्रः: Shakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रहसन्: smiling/laughing
• प्रहसन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हस्
• Form: Śatṛ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

• निःश्वसन्तम्: breathing hard/snorting
• निःश्वसन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-श्वस्
• Form: Śatṛ (present active participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यथा: as/like
• यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• नागम्: an elephant (or serpent, contextually 'serpent')
• नागम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रव्याहाराय: to utter/to speak out
• प्रव्याहाराय: Sampradana
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वि-आ-हृ
• Form: Tumun (infinitive in dative sense), Dative, Singular

• भारत: O Bharata
• भारत: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (Bhīṣma)
• Indra (Śakra)
• Bali
• Bharata (address to Yudhiṣṭhira)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets up an ethical contrast: Indra’s smiling assertion of superiority versus Bali’s controlled but intense readiness to answer. In the larger dialogue, this becomes a lesson on how pride and status are unstable before Kāla (Time), and how true strength lies in insight and restraint rather than mere dominance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma narrates to Yudhiṣṭhira: after Bali’s earlier words, Indra again addresses Bali. Bali is described as hissing like a serpent—agitated and about to respond—while Indra speaks with a smile, suggesting provocation or self-display, thereby intensifying the debate.