Shloka 81

Vyāghra–Gomāyu Saṃvāda (व्याघ्रगोमायु संवाद) — Testing Character Beneath Appearances

Devanagari script

जब मैं एक बार अपने पदसे भ्रष्ट और अपमानित हो गया, तब पुनः: आप मुझपर कैसे विश्वास कर सकेंगे? अथवा मैं ही कैसे आपके पास रह सकूँगा? ।।

Transliteration

yadāhaṁ ekavāraṁ svapadāt bhraṣṭaḥ apamānitaś ca abhavam, tadā punaḥ kathaṁ bhavān mayi viśvāsaṁ kariṣyati? athavā aham eva kathaṁ tava samīpe sthātuṁ śakṣyāmi? samartha iti saṅgṛhya sthāpayitvā parīkṣitaḥ; kṛtaṁ ca samayaṁ bhittvā tvayāham avamānitaḥ.

Translation

भीष्म म्हणाले—एकदा मला पदावरून हटवून अपमानित केले, तर तुम्ही पुन्हा माझ्यावर कसा विश्वास ठेवणार? आणि मीच तुमच्या जवळ कसा राहणार? तुम्ही मला ‘समर्थ’ समजून स्वीकारले, पदावर बसवून परीक्षा घेतली; आणि नंतर स्वतःचीच प्रतिज्ञा मोडून माझा अपमान केला.

Word by Word

• समर्थः: competent, fit
• समर्थः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• संगृह्य: having accepted / having taken (as)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-ग्रह्
• Form: Lyap (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), having accepted/taken up

• स्थापयित्वा: having appointed / having placed
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (causative: स्थापय-)
• Form: Ktva (absolutive/gerund), Causative, having installed/appointed

• परीक्षितः: tested, examined
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-ईक्ष्
• Form: Kta (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृतम्: made, done
• कृतम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Kta (past passive participle), Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• समयम्: agreement, promise, compact
• समयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: समय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• भित्त्वा: having broken
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद्
• Form: Ktva (absolutive/gerund), having broken

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (pronoun), Instrumental, Singular

• अहम्: me / I
• अहम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Masculine (speaker), Nominative, Singular

• अवमानितः: insulted, dishonoured
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-मान्
• Form: Kta (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Trust in governance depends on keeping one’s pledged word and preserving the dignity of those appointed to office; once an agreement is broken and a person is publicly dishonoured, the moral basis for continued service and mutual confidence is damaged.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma voices the ethical and practical consequences of being dismissed and insulted after being appointed and tested: he questions how the other party can trust him again, and how he can remain near them, since the prior compact has been violated.