Shloka 81

Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच विज्ञाय यातुधानीं तां कृत्यामृषिवधैषिणीम्‌ । अत्रि: क्षुधापरीतात्मा ततो वचनमत्रवीत्‌,भीष्मजी कहते हैं--राजन्‌! उसकी यह बात सुनकर महर्षि अत्रि यह समझ गये कि 'यह राक्षसी कृत्या है और हम सब ऋषियोंका वध करनेकी इच्छासे यहाँ आयी हुई है।' तथापि भूखसे व्याकुल होनेके कारण उन्होंने इस प्रकार उत्तर दिया

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca vijñāya yātudhānīṃ tāṃ kṛtyām ṛṣivadhaiṣiṇīm | atriḥ kṣudhāparītātmā tato vacanam abravīt ||

Translation

Bhīṣma berkata: Setelah mengenalinya sebagai yātudhānī—makhluk jahat yang membinasakan, suatu kṛtyā yang berniat menyembelih para resi—Atri, meski batinnya terhimpit oleh kelaparan, lalu mengucapkan kata-kata ini.

Word by Word

• {'bhīṣma uvāca': 'Bhishma said', 'vijñāya': 'having discerned, having recognized clearly', 'yātudhānīm': 'a yātudhānī

• a malevolent demoness/witch-like being', 'tām': 'her, that (woman/being)', 'kṛtyām': 'a magically created destructive entity

• a sorcerous ‘sending’ meant to harm', 'ṛṣi-vadha-aiṣiṇīm': 'desiring the killing of sages (ṛṣi = sage

• aiṣiṇī = one who seeks/desires)', 'atriḥ': 'Atri (the sage)', 'kṣudhā-parīta-ātmā': 'whose mind/inner self was overwhelmed by hunger', 'tataḥ': 'then, thereafter', 'vacanam': 'speech, words, statement', 'abravīt': 'said, spoke'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Atri
• yātudhānī
• kṛtyā
• ṛṣis (sages)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights viveka (discernment): Atri correctly identifies a hostile, sorcerous threat, yet his hunger shows how physical compulsion can weaken practical caution. It prepares the reader to reflect on how dharmic clarity must be supported by self-control and vigilance, especially when one is vulnerable.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma narrates that the sage Atri recognizes a demoness-like being as a kṛtyā sent to kill sages. Despite this awareness, Atri is afflicted by hunger and proceeds to respond to her—setting up the next action/dialogue in the episode.