Shloka 22

आपद्धर्मे कोशबलन्यायः | Treasury, Force, and Crisis-Ethics for the King

Devanagari script

तब मुनिने कहा--राजन्‌! आपके उस पुत्रने पहले कभी मूढ़ बुद्धिका आश्रय लेकर अपने दुर्भाग्यके कारण एक पूजनीय महर्षिका अपमान कर दिया था ।।

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | arthayan kalaśaṃ rājan kāñcanaṃ valkalāni ca | avajñāpūrvakeṇāpi na sampāditavāṃs tataḥ | nirviṇṇaḥ sa tu viprarṣiḥ niśiśe samapadyata rājan ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ହେ ରାଜନ୍! ତୁମ ପୁତ୍ର ଏକଦା ମୂର୍ଖ ବୁଦ୍ଧିକୁ ଆଶ୍ରୟ କରି, ନିଜ ଦୁର୍ଭାଗ୍ୟବଶତଃ, ଏକ ପୂଜ୍ୟ ମହର୍ଷିଙ୍କୁ ଅପମାନ କରିଥିଲା। ସେ ଋଷି ସୁବର୍ଣ୍ଣମୟ କଲଶ ଓ ବଲ୍କଳବସ୍ତ୍ର ଚାହିଥିଲେ; କିନ୍ତୁ ତୁମ ପୁତ୍ର ଅବହେଳା କରି ମଧ୍ୟ ତାହା ଯୋଗାଇଲା ନାହିଁ। ତେଣୁ ସେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ଋଷି ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ନିରାଶ ହୋଇ ରାତିରେ ନିରାଶାଜନିତ ଏକ ସଙ୍କଳ୍ପକୁ ଅବଲମ୍ବନ କଲେ।

Word by Word

• अर्थयन्: asking, requesting
• अर्थयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्थय् (अर्थ्)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त), पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कलशम्: a pot, vessel
• कलशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: पुं, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• काञ्चनम्: golden (made of gold)
• काञ्चनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काञ्चन
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वल्कलानि: bark-garments
• वल्कलानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल्कल
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

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

• अवज्ञा-पूर्वकेन: with contempt; contemptuously
• अवज्ञा-पूर्वकेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवज्ञा-पूर्वक
• Form: नपुं, तृतीया, एकवचन

• अपि: even, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

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

• सम्पादितवान्: fulfilled, accomplished, provided
• सम्पादितवान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पद्
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्यय (परस्मैपदी), भूतकालिक कृदन्त, पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तत्: that (request/thing)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ततः: thereupon, from that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• निर्विण्णः: dejected, disgusted
• निर्विण्णः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्विण्ण
• Form: क्त (भूतकृदन्त), पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: but, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• विप्र-ऋषिः: the brahmin sage
• विप्र-ऋषिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र + ऋषि
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निशिशः: Nishisha (proper name)
• निशिशः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशिश
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• समपद्यत: became, came to be
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पद्
• Form: लङ्, भूत (अनद्यतन), प्रथम, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: पुं, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• the King (rājan)
• the King’s son
• viprarṣi (a venerable Brahmin sage/maharshi)
• kāñcana kalaśa (golden water-pot)
• valkala (bark-garments)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler (and his heirs) must uphold dharma through humility and respectful conduct toward the wise; contempt and refusal to honor a righteous request can trigger grave moral and practical consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma recounts an earlier incident: the king’s son insulted a revered Brahmin sage and failed to provide a requested golden vessel and bark-garments; the sage, distressed, then resolved at night to take some consequential step.