Shloka 16

Ambā’s Vow of Tapas after Paraśurāma’s Assessment (अम्बाया तपोव्रतनिश्चयः)

Devanagari script

पुत्रवत्‌ पुत्रकार्याणि सर्वाणि समकारयत्‌ । रक्षणं चैव मन्त्रस्य महिषी द्रुपदस्य सा

Transliteration

putravat putrakāryāṇi sarvāṇi samakārayat | rakṣaṇaṁ caiva mantrasya mahiṣī drupadasya sā, narendra |

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ— ହେ ନରେନ୍ଦ୍ର! ଦ୍ରୁପଦ ସେଇ ଗୁପ୍ତ ସନ୍ତାନ ପାଇଁ ପୁତ୍ର ପରି ସମସ୍ତ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ଓ ସଂସ୍କାର କରାଇଲେ। ଦ୍ରୁପଦଙ୍କ ରାଣୀ ସେଇ ରହସ୍ୟ ରକ୍ଷା ପାଇଁ ସମସ୍ତ ଉପାୟ କଲେ; ସେ ସଦା ତାକୁ ‘ପୁତ୍ର’ ବୋଲି ହିଁ ସମ୍ବୋଧନ କରୁଥିଲେ। ନଗରରେ ଦ୍ରୁପଦଙ୍କୁ ଛାଡ଼ି ଅନ୍ୟ କେହି ଜାଣିନଥିଲେ ଯେ ସେ କନ୍ୟା।

Word by Word

• पुत्रवत्: like (as) a son
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुत्रवत्
• Form: Avyaya (comparative adverbial: 'like a son')

• पुत्रकार्याणि: duties/rites of a son
• पुत्रकार्याणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्रकार्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• समकारयत्: caused to be done / had performed
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + कृ (कारयति)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular; Causative (ṇic)

• रक्षणम्: protection/keeping (safe)
• रक्षणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: Avyaya

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव
• Form: Avyaya

• मन्त्रस्य: of the secret/counsel
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• महिषी: queen
• महिषी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिषी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• द्रुपदस्य: of Drupada
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुपद
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• सा: she
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• नरेन्द्र: O king (lord of men)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Drupada
• Drupada’s queen (mahiṣī)
• the concealed child (the girl raised as a son)
• the city/kingdom (nagara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights royal and familial pragmatism: to preserve political stability and intended outcomes, Drupada and his queen maintain strict confidentiality and perform socially recognized rites as for a male heir. It raises ethical tension between truthfulness and perceived necessity in matters of lineage and statecraft.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma narrates that Drupada secretly raises a girl as a son. He arranges all the customary ‘son’s’ rites for the child, while the queen carefully guards the secret and publicly refers to the child as a boy so that no one in the city suspects the truth.