Shloka 21

Haṃsa–Sādhya Saṃvāda: Satya, Dama, Kṣamā and the Discipline of Speech

Devanagari script

“यदि वे स्वजन जीवित रह जायाँ तो भी इनके भरण-पोषण और संरक्षणका कार्य समाप्त होनेसे पहले ही तुम इन्हें छोड़कर पीछे स्वयं भी तो मर जाओगे”

Transliteration

yadi te svajanā jīvitaṃ rahiṣyanti, tathāpi eṣāṃ bharaṇa-poṣaṇa-rakṣaṇasya kāryaṃ samāptam bhavitum pūrvam eva tvaṃ etān tyaktvā paścāt svayam api hi mariṣyasi.

Translation

Bhishma berkata: “Sekalipun kaum kerabatmu terus hidup, engkau sendiri tetap akan mati—meninggalkan mereka—sebelum tugas menanggung nafkah dan melindungi mereka benar-benar selesai.”

Word by Word

यदिif

तेthey/those

स्वजनाःkinsmen, one’s own people

जीविताःalive, living

रहेरन्might remain/stay

ततःthen, even then

अपिeven, also

एषाम्of these (persons)

भरणपोषणसंरक्षणकार्यस्यof the task of maintenance, nourishment, and protection

समाप्तेःfrom (its) completion; upon completion

पूर्वम्before

एतान्these (people)

त्वम्you

त्यक्त्वाhaving abandoned/left

पश्चात्afterwards, later

स्वयम्yourself

अपिalso, even

तुindeed, but

मरिष्यसिyou will die

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

svajana (kinsmen/dependents)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes