Shloka 13

Devanagari script

सप्ताष्टदिवसास्त्वद्य विप्रस्येहागतस्य वै । तच्च कार्य न मे ख्याति दर्शनं तव काडक्षति

Transliteration

saptāṣṭa-divasās tv adya viprasyehāgatasya vai | tac ca kāryaṃ na me khyāti darśanaṃ tava kāṅkṣati ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : « Voilà maintenant sept ou huit jours qu’un brahmane est arrivé ici. Pourtant, il ne m’a pas fait connaître l’œuvre qu’il veut accomplir ; il ne désire que te voir. »

Word by Word

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अष्ट: eight
• अष्ट: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दिवसाः: days
• दिवसाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• विप्रस्य: of the brahmin
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• आगतस्य: of (one) who has come/arrived
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-गम्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• वै: indeed/verily
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• तत्: that (matter/thing)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• कार्यम्: task/business (to be done)
• कार्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• मे: to me/for me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

• ख्याति: is known/knownness; knowledge
• ख्याति: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख्याति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• दर्शनम्: seeing/audience/vision
• दर्शनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तव: of you/your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• काङ्क्षति: desires/longs for
• Type: Verb
• Root: काङ्क्ष्
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• a brahmin (vipra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic attentiveness: when a brahmin guest arrives and remains without stating his purpose, the host must still treat the situation seriously, recognizing that a request for ‘darśana’ can itself be a meaningful, duty-laden appeal rather than mere curiosity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma informs the addressed person that a brahmin has been present for several days. The brahmin has not disclosed any specific errand to Bhishma and appears to seek only an audience—‘the sight’—of the person being addressed.