Shloka 38
Devanagari script
स चिन्तयामास तदा स्तैन्यं कार्यमितो मया । न हीदानीमुपायो मे विद्यते प्राणधारणे
Transliteration
sa cintayāmāsa tadā stainyaṃ kāryam ito mayā | na hīdānīm upāyo me vidyate prāṇadhāraṇe ||
Translation
तब उसने मन में विचार किया— “मुझे यहाँ चोरी करनी होगी; क्योंकि इस समय अपने प्राणों की रक्षा का मेरे पास दूसरा कोई उपाय नहीं है।”
Word by Word
सःhe
सः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
चिन्तयामासthought/pondered
चिन्तयामास:
TypeVerb
Rootचिन्त्
FormPeriphrastic Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular
तदाthen
तदा:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतदा
स्तैन्यम्theft/stealing
स्तैन्यम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootस्तैन्य
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
कार्यम्to be done/necessary
कार्यम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootकार्य
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
इतःfrom here
इतः:
Apadana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइतस्
मयाby me
मया:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद्
FormMasculine/Feminine, Instrumental, Singular
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
हिindeed/for
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
इदानीम्now
इदानीम्:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइदानीम्
उपायःmeans/remedy
उपायः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootउपाय
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
मेof me/for me
मे:
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद्
FormMasculine/Feminine, Genitive, Singular
विद्यतेexists/is found
विद्यते:
TypeVerb
Rootविद्
FormPresent (Laṭ), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada
प्राणधारणेin sustaining life (in preserving the breath)
प्राणधारणे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootप्राणधारण
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaA
an unnamed ascetic/muni (implied by context)M
meat (māṃsa, implied by the accompanying Hindi gloss)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic tension: when survival is threatened, the mind may justify adharma (theft) as ‘necessary.’ It invites reflection on how necessity, intention, and available alternatives affect moral responsibility.
A person (described in the surrounding context as a muni) is in a life-threatening situation and concludes that stealing (specifically, taking meat) is the only way to stay alive, and he resolves to do it.