Shloka 9

Devanagari script

अहं कस्य कुतो वापि कः को मे ह भवेदिति । प्रयोजनमतिर्नित्यमेवं मोक्षाश्रमे वसेत्‌

Transliteration

ahaṁ kasya kuto vāpi kaḥ ko me ha bhaved iti | prayojanamatiḥ nityam evaṁ mokṣāśrame vaset ||

Translation

“ମୁଁ କାହାର? କେଉଁଠୁ ଆସିଛି? ମୋର ନିଜ କିଏ? ଏହି ଜୀବନର ପ୍ରୟୋଜନ କ’ଣ?”—ଏପରି ନିରନ୍ତର ଚିନ୍ତନରେ ମନକୁ ନିୟୋଜିତ କରି ସନ୍ନ୍ୟାସୀ ମୋକ୍ଷାଶ୍ରମରେ ବସିବା ଉଚିତ।

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• कस्य: of whom / whose
• कस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• कुतः: from where
• कुतः: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः
• Form: true

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा
• Form: true

• अपि: also / even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि
• Form: true

• कः: who
• कः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कः: who
• कः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मे: of me / my
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• ह: indeed (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह
• Form: true

• भवेत्: might be / could be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• इति: thus (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति
• Form: true

• प्रयोजनमतिः: thought/concern about purpose (of life)
• प्रयोजनमतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयोजनमति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• नित्यम्: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य
• Form: true

• एवम्: thus / in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्
• Form: true

• मोक्षाश्रमे: in the moksha-āśrama (renunciate stage)
• मोक्षाश्रमे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्षाश्रम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• वसेत्: should dwell / should live
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A renunciant should live with continuous self-inquiry—questioning ownership, origin, and attachment (“mine-ness”)—so the mind stays oriented toward life’s true purpose: liberation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva instruction setting, Bhishma is advising on the discipline of the mokṣa-oriented life, describing the inner contemplations that should accompany dwelling in the renunciant āśrama.