Shloka 12

Abhimanyunidhana-prakāśaḥ — Vasudeva–Kṛṣṇa–Subhadrā–Kuntī śoka-saṃvāda

Disclosure and Consolation

Devanagari script

अकरोत्‌ स ततः काल॑ शरतल्पगतो मुनि: । अयनं दक्षिण हित्वा सम्प्राप्ते चोत्तरायणे

Transliteration

akarot sa tataḥ kālaṁ śaratālpagato muniḥ | ayanaṁ dakṣiṇaṁ hitvā samprāpte cottarāyaṇe ||

Translation

ବାସୁଦେବ କହିଲେ—ତାପରେ ଶରଶୟ୍ୟାରେ ଶୟିତ ସେଇ ମୁନି ନିଜ ପ୍ରୟାଣର କ୍ଷଣ ନିଜେ ନିର୍ଣ୍ଣୟ କଲେ। ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟର ଦକ୍ଷିଣାୟନ ଥିବା ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ସେ ଦେହ ତ୍ୟାଗ କଲେ ନାହିଁ; ସେ କାଳ ଶେଷ ହୋଇ ଉତ୍ତରାୟନ ଆସିଲେ ତେବେ ମାତ୍ର ମୃତ୍ୟୁ ଗ୍ରହଣ କଲେ—ବ୍ରତନିଷ୍ଠା ଓ କାଳଜୟର ପ୍ରମାଣ ଦେଇ।

Word by Word

• अकरोत्: did, performed
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (अorist), 3, singular, परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रभव)

• कालम्: time (period)
• कालम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• शरतल्पगतः: gone to (lying on) the bed of arrows
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शरतल्प-गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; गत from गम्)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• मुनिः: the sage (ascetic)
• मुनिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• अयनम्: course (of the sun), solstice-period
• अयनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• दक्षिणम्: southern
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• हित्वा: having abandoned, having left
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (धातु) / त्यज्-अर्थे; क्त्वान्त
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), परस्मैपद-भाव

• सम्प्राप्ते: when (it) had arrived
• सम्प्राप्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) → सम्प्राप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• उत्तरायणे: in the northern course (uttarāyaṇa)
• उत्तरायणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तरायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• Bhīṣma
• śara-śayyā (bed of arrows)
• dakṣiṇāyana
• uttarāyaṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined self-governance: even in extreme suffering, one can uphold vows and choose the proper time for one’s final act, aligning personal conduct with a larger moral and cosmic order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva) explains that Bhīṣma, lying on the arrow-bed, did not relinquish life during dakṣiṇāyana; he waited until uttarāyaṇa arrived and then deliberately accepted death.