Shloka 21

Śiśupāla-vākya: Bhīṣma-nindā and the ‘Haṃsa’ Exemplum (शिशुपालवाक्यम् — भीष्मनिन्दा, हंसदृष्टान्तः)

Devanagari script

तमिमं गुणसम्पन्नमार्य च पितरं गुरुम्‌ । अर्घ्यमर्चितमर्चहिं सर्वे संक्षन्तुमर्हथ

Transliteration

tam imaṃ guṇasampannam āryaṃ ca pitaraṃ gurum | arghyam arcitam arcaiḥ sarve saṃkṣantum arhatha ||

Translation

Бхишма сказал: «Мы совершили почитание и поднесли аргьхью (arghya) этому благородному отцу и учителю, исполненному всех добродетелей, — воистину достойному принять аргьхью и быть прославленным. Потому пусть все цари простят нам этот поступок».

Word by Word

• तम्: him/that (person)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गुणसम्पन्नम्: endowed with virtues
• गुणसम्पन्नम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुणसम्पन्न
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आर्यं: noble, venerable
• आर्यं: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• पितरम्: father
• पितरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गुरुम्: teacher, preceptor
• गुरुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अर्घ्यं: arghya (honor-offering/water of respect)
• अर्घ्यं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अर्चितम्: honored, worshipped
• अर्चितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्चित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अर्चहिं: we have worshipped
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 1st, Plural, Parasmaipada

• सर्वे: all (of you)
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• संक्षन्तुम्: to forgive, to pardon
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षम्
• Form: Infinitive (Tumun)

• अर्हथ: you ought/are fit (to)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह्
• Form: Present (Laṭ), 2nd, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• kings (assembled rulers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True honor follows dharma: one who is genuinely virtuous and worthy of reverence should be honored, and social friction arising from rightful honor should be met with kṣamā (forbearance/forgiveness).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the royal assembly context, Bhīṣma justifies the offering of arghya to Kṛṣṇa as the most deserving guest and asks the assembled kings to pardon any offense or resentment caused by giving Kṛṣṇa precedence.