Shloka 38

Devanagari script

स चिन्तयामास तदा स्तैन्यं कार्यमितो मया । न हीदानीमुपायो मे विद्यते प्राणधारणे,तब मुनिने सोचा कि “मुझे यहाँसे इस मांसकी चोरी करनी चाहिये; क्योंकि इस समय मेरे लिये अपने प्राणोंकी रक्षाका दूसरा कोई उपाय नहीं है

Transliteration

sa cintayāmāsa tadā stainyaṃ kāryam ito mayā | na hīdānīm upāyo me vidyate prāṇadhāraṇe ||

Translation

ସେତେବେଳେ ସେ ମନେ ଭାବିଲା— “ଏଠାରେ ମୋତେ ଚୋରି କରିବାକୁ ହେବ; କାରଣ ଏହି ସମୟରେ ପ୍ରାଣ ଧାରଣ ପାଇଁ ମୋ ପାଖରେ ଅନ୍ୟ କୌଣସି ଉପାୟ ନାହିଁ।”

Word by Word

सःhe

चिन्तयामासthought/pondered

तदाthen

स्तैन्यम्theft/stealing

कार्यम्to be done/necessary

इतःfrom here

मयाby me

नnot

हिindeed/for

इदानीम्now

उपायःmeans/remedy

मेof me/for me

विद्यतेexists/is found

प्राणधारणेin sustaining life (in preserving the breath)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

an unnamed ascetic/muni (implied by context)

meat (māṃsa, implied by the accompanying Hindi gloss)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a dharmic tension: when survival is threatened, the mind may justify adharma (theft) as ‘necessary.’ It invites reflection on how necessity, intention, and available alternatives affect moral responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

A person (described in the surrounding context as a muni) is in a life-threatening situation and concludes that stealing (specifically, taking meat) is the only way to stay alive, and he resolves to do it.