Shloka 24

उशनसः (शुक्रस्य) चरितम् — The Account of Uśanā (Śukra): Yoga, Grievance, and Pacification

Devanagari script

वृत्र बवाच प्रत्यक्षमेतद्‌ भवतस्तथान्येषां मनीषिणाम्‌ । मया यज्जयलुब्धेन पुरा तप्तं महत्‌ तप:

Transliteration

Vṛtra uvāca pratyakṣam etad bhavatas tathānyēṣāṁ manīṣiṇām | mayā yaj-jaya-lubdhena purā taptaṁ mahat tapaḥ ||

Translation

ವೃತ್ರನು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ಬ್ರಹ್ಮನ್! ಇದು ನಿಮಗೂ ಇತರ ಮನುಷ್ಯಜ್ಞಾನಿಗಳಿಗೂ ಪ್ರತ್ಯಕ್ಷವೇ: ಹಿಂದೆ ಜಯದ ಲೋಭದಿಂದ ನಾನು ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಘೋರ ತಪಸ್ಸನ್ನು ಆಚರಿಸಿದ್ದೆನು.

Word by Word

• वृत्रः: Vṛtra (the speaker)
• वृत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• प्रत्यक्षम्: directly evident/visible
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• भवतः: of you (honorific)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: भवत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• तथा: and/also; likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अन्येषाम्: of others
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• मनीषिणाम्: of sages/wise men
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनीषिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• यत्: which/that (thing)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• जय-लुब्धेन: by one greedy for victory
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जयलुब्ध
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• पुरा: formerly/once
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• तप्तम्: performed/practised (austerity)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• महत्: great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तपः: austerity/penance
• तपः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vṛtra
• manīṣiṇaḥ (wise sages)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that austerity (tapas) is ethically colored by intention: even great spiritual effort can be compromised when driven by craving for victory or power. It points toward examining motives, not merely actions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within Bhīṣma’s discourse, a quoted speech of Vṛtra appears: Vṛtra addresses a revered listener (implicitly Brahmā and other sages), stating that they have directly witnessed his earlier, intense austerities performed out of desire for victory.