Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तथा स पित्राभिहतो वाग्वज्रेण कृताञज्जलि: । प्रसीदेति ब्रुवन्नेव गतसत्त्वोडपतद्‌ भुवि,पिताके वाग्वज़्से पीड़ित हुआ नाचिकेत हाथ जोड़कर बोला--'प्रभो! प्रसन्न होइये।' इतना ही कहते-कहते वह निष्प्राण होकर पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ा

Transliteration

tathā sa pitrābhihato vāgvajreṇa kṛtāñjaliḥ | prasīdeti bruvann eva gatasattvo ’patad bhuvi ||

Translation

പിതാവിന്റെ വാഗ്വജ്രംകൊണ്ട് ആഹതനായ അവൻ കൃതാഞ്ജലിയോടെ— “പ്രഭോ, പ്രസാദിക്കണമേ” എന്നു പറയുന്നതിനിടയിൽ തന്നെ ജീവശക്തി ക്ഷയിച്ച് ഭൂമിയിൽ വീണു.

Word by Word

तथाthus

सःhe

पित्राby (his) father

अभिहतःstruck, smitten

वाक्-वज्रेणwith the thunderbolt of speech (harsh words)

कृत-अञ्जलिःhaving joined hands (with folded palms)

प्रसीदbe pleased

इतिthus

ब्रुवन्saying

एवindeed, just

गत-सत्त्वःlifeless (whose vital force had gone)

अपतत्fell down

भुविon the ground/earth

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

father (pitā)

vāg-vajra (thunderbolt of speech)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical power of speech: words can wound like a weapon (vāg-vajra). It implicitly commends restraint and compassion in speech, and shows the virtue of humility and supplication even under provocation.

What is happening in the narrative?

A person is verbally struck by his father—described as being hit by a ‘thunderbolt of speech.’ He responds by joining his hands and pleading for the father’s grace, but his strength/life gives way and he collapses to the ground.