Shloka 9

पापात्म-धर्मात्म-लक्षणम् तथा निर्वेदेन मोक्षमार्गः | Marks of the Sinful and the Righteous; Dispassion (Nirveda) as a Path to Liberation

Devanagari script

स तथेति चिरेणोक्त्वा स्वभावाच्चिरकारिक: । विमृश्य चिरकारित्वाच्चिन्तयामास वै चिरम्‌,चिरकारीने अपने स्वभावके अनुसार देर करके कहा, “बहुत अच्छा'। चिरकारी तो वह था ही, चिरकालतक उस बातपर विचार करता रहा

Transliteration

sa tatheti cireṇoktvā svabhāvāc cirakārikaḥ | vimṛśya cirakāritvāc cintayāmāsa vai ciram ||

Translation

彼は「そのとおりに」と答えたが、それは長い時を経てからであった。生来、彼は行いに遅く、慎重な者だったからである。そしてその習いのままに、彼はその事を久しく思案し続けた。

Word by Word

सःhe

तथाthus; so

इतिthus (quotative)

चिरेणafter a long time; with delay

उक्त्वाhaving said

स्वभावात्from (his) nature; by nature

चिरकारिकःone who acts slowly; procrastinator

विमृश्यhaving reflected; having considered

चिरकारित्वात्because of slowness; due to procrastinating nature

चिन्तयामासhe pondered; he thought

आमास(auxiliary in periphrastic perfect)

वैindeed; surely

चिरम्for a long time

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

भ

भीष्म (Bhīṣma)

च

चिरकारी (Cirakārī)

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?

The verse highlights the ethical value of deliberation: a person who is naturally slow to act does not rush into decisions but reflects carefully, suggesting that restraint and thoughtful consideration can be integral to dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma describes Cirakari’s characteristic behavior: he gives assent only after delay and then continues to ponder the matter for a long time, emphasizing his deliberate temperament.