Shloka 70

आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः

Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca

Devanagari script

विधास्ये प्राप्तकालं यत्‌ कार्य सिद्धिकरं विभो । मयि कृच्छाद्‌ विनिर्मुक्ते न विनड्क्ष्यति ते कृतम्‌

Transliteration

vidhāsye prāptakālaṃ yat kārya-siddhikaraṃ vibho | mayi kṛcchād vinirmukte na vinaṅkṣyati te kṛtam ||

Translation

प्रभो! समय आने पर तुम्हारे अभीष्ट की सिद्धि कराने वाला जो भी कार्य होगा, मैं अवश्य करूँगा। इस संकट से मुक्त हो जाने पर तुम्हारा किया हुआ उपकार व्यर्थ न जाएगा; मैं उसका प्रतिदान अवश्य दूँगा।

Word by Word

• {'vidhāsye': 'I shall do

• I shall carry out (future, 1st person singular)', 'prāptakālam': 'at the time that has arrived

• when the right occasion comes', 'yat': 'whatever

• that which', 'kārya': 'a task

• duty/action to be undertaken', 'siddhikaraṃ': 'bringing success/attainment

• accomplishing', 'vibho': 'O powerful one

• O lord (vocative of vibhu)', 'mayi': 'in/with regard to me', 'kṛcchāt': 'from hardship, distress, difficulty', 'vinirmukte': 'when (I am) released/freed (locative absolute sense)', 'na': 'not', 'vinaṅkṣyati': 'will perish

• will come to nothing', 'te': 'your', 'kṛtam': 'what has been done

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• vibhu (addressed lord; unspecified in the verse)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical reciprocity: one should not let a benefactor’s help become ‘wasted’ but should respond with timely, purposeful action and gratitude, especially after overcoming personal hardship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma addresses a powerful lord, assuring him that when the right moment comes he will perform whatever deed is needed to accomplish the lord’s aim; once Bhīṣma is released from his present distress, he vows that the benefaction shown to him will not go unrepaid.