Shloka 72

Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu

Gṛhastha-Vrata

Devanagari script

निःसंदिग्धं॑ यथा वाक्यमेतन्मे समुदाह्ृतम्‌ । तेनाहं विप्र सत्येन स्वयमात्मानमालभे

Transliteration

niḥsaṃdigdhaṃ yathā vākyam etan me samudāhṛtam | tenāhaṃ vipra satyena svayam ātmānam ālabhe |

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「このわたしの言葉は、いささかの疑いもなく語られた。ゆえに、婆羅門よ、その真実を立てるため、わたしは自らの身を証として誓う。」

Word by Word

• निःसंदिग्धम्: undoubted, without doubt
• निःसंदिग्धम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निःसंदिग्ध
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• यथा: as, in the manner that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• वाक्यम्: statement, speech
• वाक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• एतत्: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• मे: to me / of me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive/Dative, Singular

• समुदाहृतम्: uttered, spoken
• Type: Verb
• Root: समुदाहृत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle), आ-हृ (with सम्-उद्-आ-)

• तेन: by that, therefore
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter/Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• विप्र: O brahmin
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सत्येन: by truth, with truth
• सत्येन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• स्वयम्: oneself, personally
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम्

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

• आलभे: I touch / I take hold (as an oath-gesture)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-लभ्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Atmanepada, First, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• vipra (a brahmin interlocutor)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse upholds satya (truth) as an ethical foundation: a righteous speaker should stand behind his words, even to the point of taking a solemn oath, emphasizing accountability and integrity in speech.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma, addressing a brahmin, asserts that his prior statement is beyond doubt and then reinforces its credibility by invoking truth and performing a formal oath-like act upon his own person.