Shloka 49

मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169

Devanagari script

स एवमुक्त: सुहृदा तेन तत्र हितैषिणा । प्रत्युवाच ततो राजन्‌ विनिश्चित्य तदार्तवत्‌,राजन! अपने उस हितैषी सुहृदके इस प्रकार कहनेपर गौतम मन-ही-मन कुछ निश्चय करके आर्त-सा होकर बोला--

Transliteration

sa evam uktaḥ suhṛdā tena tatra hitaiṣiṇā | pratyuvāca tato rājan viniścitya tadārtavat ||

Translation

Wahai Raja, setelah sahabat yang menghendaki kebaikannya itu berkata demikian di sana, ia pun—setelah menetapkan keputusan dalam batin—menjawab dengan nada seolah dilanda duka.

Word by Word

सःhe

एवम्thus

उक्तःhaving been spoken to / addressed

सुहृदाby a friend

तेनby him

तत्रthere

हितैषिणाby a well-wisher

प्रत्युवाचreplied

ततःthen

राजन्O king

विनिश्चित्यhaving ascertained/decided

तदाat that time

आर्तवत्as if distressed

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Rājan (the King, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira as addressee)

suhṛt (a well-wishing friend/adviser)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when advice is offered by a genuine well-wisher, the recipient may face inner turmoil; dharmic action often requires firm discernment (viniścaya) while acknowledging the emotional weight of the decision.

What is happening in the narrative?

A person has been addressed by a friendly, welfare-seeking adviser; after reflecting and deciding internally, he replies to the king, his response colored by distress—signaling a difficult moral or practical choice about to be articulated.