Shloka 22

Śulka, Kanyā, and Dauhitra-Riktha: Discourse on Bride-Price and Inheritance Rights (शुल्क-कन्या-दौहित्र-रिक्थविचारः)

Devanagari script

एतत्‌ श्र॒ुत्वा तु विपुलो विषण्णवदनो5भवत्‌ | एवं तीव्रतपाश्चाहं कष्टश्षायं परिश्रम:

Transliteration

etat śrutvā tu vipulo viṣaṇṇavadano 'bhavat | evaṁ tīvratapaś cāhaṁ kaṣṭaśṣāyaṁ pariśramaḥ |

Translation

Бхишма сказал: Услышав это, Випула помрачнел и пал духом. Он подумал: «Если даже мне — совершающему столь суровые подвиги аскезы — суждено дурное окончание, то выходит, что тяжкий труд подвижничества обернулся одним лишь страданием».

Word by Word

• एतत्: this (thing)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral), Non-finite

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

• विपुलः: Vipula (proper name)
• विपुलः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपुल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विषण्ण-वदनः: with a dejected face
• विषण्ण-वदनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषण्णवदन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभवत्: became/was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• एवम्: thus/in this way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• तीव्र-तपाः: one of intense austerity
• तीव्र-तपाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीव्रतपस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

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

• कष्ट-क्षयम्: painful destruction/ruin (hard end)
• कष्ट-क्षयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कष्टक्षय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• परिश्रमः: exertion, toil
• परिश्रमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिश्रम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Vipula

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Austerity (tapas) by itself is not a guarantee of a good outcome; one must also understand and align with dharma, because the ethical quality and right understanding behind one’s effort determine its true fruit.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing a sobering statement, Vipula becomes visibly distressed and doubts the value of his severe ascetic effort, fearing that even such hardship may still lead to an unfortunate result.