Shloka 78

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

Devanagari script

परिक्षीणाश्न लुब्धाश्न क्रुद्धा भीता: प्रतारिता: । हृतस्वा मानिनो ये च त्यक्तादाना महेप्सव:

Transliteration

parikṣīṇāś ca lubdhāś ca kruddhā bhītāḥ pratāritāḥ | hṛtasvā mānino ye ca tyaktadānā mahepsavaḥ ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ଯେ ସେବକମାନେ କ୍ଷୀଣ, ଲୋଭୀ, କ୍ରୋଧୀ, ଭୟଭୀତ ଓ ପ୍ରତାରିତ; ଯାହାଙ୍କର ସର୍ବସ୍ୱ ହରଣ ହୋଇଛି; ଯେମାନେ ଅଭିମାନୀ; ଯେମାନେ ଯଥୋଚିତ ଦାନ-ପୁରସ୍କାରରୁ ବଞ୍ଚିତ; ଏବଂ ଯେମାନେ ଉଚ୍ଚ ପଦ ଆକାଂକ୍ଷା କରନ୍ତି—ଏମାନେ ସେବାରେ ରହିଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଶତ୍ରୁଙ୍କ ଉପକରଣ ହୋଇଯାନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• परिक्षीणाः: exhausted, depleted
• परिक्षीणाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-क्षीण (क्षी धातु से क्त/क्तवतु-आधारित विशेषण)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अश्नाः: those who eat / eaters (contextually: living on food/allowance)
• अश्नाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्न (प्रातिपदिक; अर्थ: भोजन/आहार)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• लुब्धाः: greedy
• लुब्धाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लुब्ध (लुभ् धातु से क्त-आधारित विशेषण)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अश्नाः: eaters / those who subsist (repeated)
• अश्नाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• क्रुद्धाः: angry
• क्रुद्धाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुद्ध (क्रुध् धातु से क्त-आधारित विशेषण)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भीताः: afraid
• भीताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीत (भी धातु से क्त-आधारित विशेषण)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रचारिताः: misled / driven about / deceived
• प्रचारिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-चारित (चर्/चारय् धातु से णिच्-प्रेरण + क्त; अर्थ: चलाया/उकसाया/भ्रमित किया गया)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हृतस्वाः: whose own (wealth) has been taken away
• हृतस्वाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृत-स्व (हृ धातु से क्त + स्व ‘own/property’)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मानिनः: proud, self-respecting
• मानिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• त्यक्तादानाः: who have abandoned taking/accepting (gifts/dues); who refuse to accept
• त्यक्तादानाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्यक्त-आदान (त्यज् धातु से क्त + आदान ‘taking/receiving’)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महेप्सवः: desirous of great (things/positions)
• महेप्सवः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्-ईप्सु (महत् ‘great’ + ईप्सु ‘desirous of’)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king should be vigilant about retainers whose inner state is marked by deprivation, humiliation, fear, anger, greed, deception, or frustrated ambition; such conditions often turn a dependent into a conduit for hostile forces. Sound governance requires not only rewarding merit but also preventing the buildup of resentment that leads to betrayal.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on raja-dharma, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira about political dangers within one’s own establishment. This verse lists categories of discontented or destabilized servants and warns that they commonly end up serving an enemy’s interests.