Shloka 58

Devanagari script

इति सम्भाषतां वाचं श्रुत्वा मे बुद्धिरच्यवत्‌ । आत्मानं चात्मना गर्हन्‌ मनसेदं व्यचिन्तयम्‌

Transliteration

iti sambhāṣatāṃ vācaṃ śrutvā me buddhir acyavat | ātmānaṃ cātmanā garhan manasedaṃ vyacintayam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Hearing those words as they spoke together, my understanding wavered. Rebuking myself within my own mind, I reflected on this—torn between what I had heard and what I ought to do.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• सम्भाषताम्: of (those) speaking/conversing
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-भाष्
• Form: Present, Plural, Parasmaipada, Present active participle (शतृ) in genitive plural

• वाचम्: speech, words
• वाचम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा), Parasmaipada

• मे: my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• बुद्धिः: mind, understanding
• बुद्धिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अच्यवत्: wavered, was shaken
• Type: Verb
• Root: च्यु
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• आत्मानम्: self
• आत्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• आत्मना: by oneself
• आत्मना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• गर्हन्: censuring, blaming
• Type: Verb
• Root: गर्ह्
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), nominative singular masculine, Parasmaipada

• मनसा: with the mind
• मनसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• व्यचिन्तयम्: I reflected, I thought
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चिन्त्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical introspection: when confronted with troubling speech or circumstances, one should examine one’s own mind, acknowledge wavering judgment, and deliberate carefully rather than act impulsively.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports his internal reaction to hearing a conversation: his resolve falters, he mentally reproaches himself, and he begins to think through what he has heard and what response is appropriate.