Shloka 89

ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana

River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor

Devanagari script

सवज़मुद्यतं बाहुं दृष्टवा पाशांश्व वारुणान्‌

Transliteration

savajram udyataṃ bāhuṃ dṛṣṭvā pāśāṃś ca vāruṇān | daityarāja! mama bāhuṃ vajra-varuṇapāśa-sahitam ūrdhvaṃ kṛtvā hantum icchayāgatāyā mṛtyor api hṛdayaṃ kampate; punaḥ kaḥ sa anyaḥ yasya buddhir na vyathate | tava buddhis tattva-jñāna-yuktā sthirā ca; tasmāt sā kṣaṇam api na vicalati ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ: “ହେ ଦୈତ୍ୟରାଜ! ମୋ ବାହୁ ବଜ୍ର ଓ ବରୁଣପାଶ ସହିତ ଉପରକୁ ଉଦ୍ୟତ ଦେଖି, ମାରିବା ଇଚ୍ଛାରେ ଆସିଥିବା ମୃତ୍ୟୁର ହୃଦୟ ମଧ୍ୟ କମ୍ପିଉଠେ; ତେବେ ଅନ୍ୟ କାହାର ବୁଦ୍ଧି କାହିଁକି ବ୍ୟଥିତ ହେବ ନାହିଁ? କିନ୍ତୁ ତୁମ ବୁଦ୍ଧି ତତ୍ତ୍ୱଦର୍ଶିନୀ ଓ ଧ୍ରୁବ; ତେଣୁ ଏକ ମୁହୂର୍ତ୍ତ ମଧ୍ୟ ଚଳିତ ହୁଏ ନାହିଁ।”

Word by Word

• सवज्रम्: with the thunderbolt
• सवज्रम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-वज्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उद्यतम्: raised, uplifted
• उद्यतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-यत (यम्)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• बाहुम्: arm
• बाहुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• पाशान्: nooses
• पाशान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• वारुणान्: of Varuṇa
• वारुणान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वारुण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Daityaraja (king of the Daityas)
• Mṛtyu (Death, personified)
• Vajra (thunderbolt)
• Varuṇa
• Varuṇa-pāśa (Varuṇa’s noose)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True steadiness comes from tattva-jñāna—clear knowledge of reality. External threats that shake ordinary minds need not disturb one whose intellect is disciplined and rooted in truth.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma addresses a Daitya-king, describing the terrifying power of his raised arm armed with vajra and Varuṇa’s nooses—so formidable that even personified Death would tremble—then praises the Daitya-king for remaining unshaken due to his stable, truth-knowing intellect.