Shloka 7

Devanagari script

स वरैश्छन्दितस्तेन नूपो वचनमत्रवीत्‌ । सहस्रबाहुर्भूयां वै चमूमध्ये गृहेडन्यथा

Transliteration

sa varaiś chanditas tena nūpo vacanam abravīt | sahasrabāhur bhūyāṃ vai camūmadhye gṛhe ’nyathā ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。聖仙に恩寵を選べと促され、王は答えた。「戦において、軍勢のただ中では我を千臂とし、しかし家では別のまま（ただ二臂）であらしめよ。戦場では、すべての兵が我が千の腕を見よ。」

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वरैः: with boons
• वरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• छन्दितः: gratified/pleased
• छन्दितः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: छन्द्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• नूपः: King Nūpa
• नूपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नूप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वचनम्: speech/words
• वचनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• अवीत्: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सहस्रबाहुः: one having a thousand arms
• सहस्रबाहुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्रबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भूयाम्: may I be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• चमू: of the army
• Type: Noun
• Root: चमू
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• मध्ये: in the midst
• मध्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• गृहे: at home
• गृहे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा

• विप्रवर: O best of Brahmins
• विप्रवर: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रवर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• the king (nṛpa)
• the sage granting boons (contextually Dattatreya in this episode)
• army (camū)
• home/household (gṛha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power should be bounded by dharma: extraordinary force may be sought for protecting and winning in righteous battle, but personal life should remain governed by restraint and normal ethical limits.

What is happening in the narrative?

A sage invites the king to ask for boons. The king requests a miraculous form—thousand arms visible to the army in battle—while remaining ordinary at home, distinguishing public martial duty from private conduct.