Shloka 86

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

Devanagari script

कश्रिदेव हिते भर्तुर्दिश्यते न परात्मनो: । कार्यपिक्षा हि वर्तन्ते भावस्निग्धा: सुदुर्लभा:

Transliteration

kaścid eva hite bhartur diśyate na parātmanoḥ | kāryāpekṣā hi vartante bhāvasnigdhāḥ sudurlabhāḥ ||

Translation

ନିଜ ହିତ କିମ୍ବା ପରହିତରେ ନୁହେଁ, କେବଳ ସ୍ୱାମୀଙ୍କ ହିତରେ ନିବିଷ୍ଟ ଦେଖାଯାଉଥିବା ମଣିଷ ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଦୁର୍ଲଭ। କାରଣ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟର ଆଶା ଓ ଲାଭର ଦୃଷ୍ଟି ରଖି ସ୍ନେହ ଦେଖାଇବା ଲୋକ ଅନେକ; କିନ୍ତୁ ଶୁଦ୍ଧ ଭାବରେ, ନିଷ୍କାମ ସ୍ନେହ ଧରିଥିବା ଲୋକ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଦୁର୍ଲଭ।

Word by Word

• कश्चित्: someone, a certain person
• कश्चित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: कश्चित् (किम्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed, only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• हिते: in the welfare/benefit
• हिते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (√धा/√हि + क्त; 'placed/beneficial')
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• भर्तुः: of the master/lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• दिश्यते: is seen/appears
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (दिश्/दृश्यते as passive of √दृश्)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Passive (Ātmanepada form)

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• परात्मनोः: of oneself and of another (lit. of self-and-other)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Dual

• कार्यापेक्षाः: those having expectation of (their) own work/interest
• कार्यापेक्षाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य + अपेक्षा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• हि: for, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• वर्तन्ते: exist, are found, behave
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृत्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Ātmanepada

• भावस्निग्धाः: affectionate out of pure feeling
• भावस्निग्धाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाव + स्निग्ध (√स्निह् + क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सुदुर्लभाः: very rare
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुर्लभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True loyalty is rare: many show affection while pursuing their own aims, but genuinely selfless goodwill—seeking only the master’s welfare without personal or third-party interest—is exceedingly uncommon.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and conduct, Bhishma is advising about the difficulty of finding truly sincere, disinterested supporters or servants, contrasting common self-interested attachment with rare pure-hearted devotion.