Shloka 18

निर्वेदोपदेशः (Nirveda-Upadeśa) — Maṅki’s Dispassion and the Limits of Wealth-Seeking

Devanagari script

चन्दनागुरुमुख्यानि त्वक्पत्राणां वनानि च । तस्मिन्‌ पथि महाराज सेवमानो द्रुतं ययौ

Transliteration

candana-aguru-mukhyāni tvak-patrāṇāṁ vanāni ca | tasmin pathi mahārāja sevamāno drutaṁ yayau |

Translation

Bhishma berkata: “Wahai Maharaja, di sepanjang jalan itu terdapat rimbunan pohon daun bay, tempat pohon cendana dan agaru menjadi yang utama. Ia beristirahat di sana-sini dalam perjalanannya, menikmati buah-buah manis laksana amerta sesuai kehendaknya, lalu melaju cepat ke depan.”

Word by Word

• चन्दन: sandalwood
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्दन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (in compound stem), Singular (stem)

• अगुरु: aloeswood (aguru)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगुरु
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (in compound stem), Singular (stem)

• मुख्यानि: chief, predominant
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• चन्दनागुरुमुख्यानि: having sandalwood and aguru as the chief (trees)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चन्दन + अगुरु + मुख्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• त्वक्: bark; (here) cinnamon
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वच्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative/Accusative (in compound stem), Singular (stem)

• पत्राणाम्: of leaves; (here) of tejapatra (bay leaves)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्र
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• त्वक्पत्राणाम्: of cinnamon and bay-leaves (tejapatra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वच् + पत्र
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• वनानि: forests, groves
• वनानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

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

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पथि: on the path
• पथि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सेवमानः: enjoying/resorting to
• सेवमानः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, शानच् (present active participle)

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुत

• ययौ: went
• Type: Verb
• Root: या
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Mahārāja (the king addressed, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira)
• candana (sandalwood)
• aguru (agarwood)
• tvakpatra-vanāni (groves of aromatic leaf/bark trees; bay-leaf/tejapatra forests)
• patha (the road/path)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses serene forest imagery to underscore disciplined progress: one may take lawful rest and refreshment on the way, yet continue one’s duty-bound journey without slackening—moving forward with steadiness and purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma describes a traveler proceeding along a route lined with fragrant groves dominated by sandalwood and agaru; he pauses there for respite as he travels, and then continues onward swiftly.