Shloka 79

Vyāghra–Gomāyu Saṃvāda (व्याघ्रगोमायु संवाद) — Testing Character Beneath Appearances

Devanagari script

संतापिताश्न ये केचिद्‌ व्यसनौघप्रतीक्षिण: । अन्तर्तहिता: सोपदहितास्ते सर्वे परसाधना:

Transliteration

santāpitāśn ye kecid vyasanaugha-pratīkṣiṇaḥ | antartahitāḥ sopadahitās te sarve para-sādhanāḥ ||

Translation

Бхишма сказал: Те слуги, что озлоблены и терзаемы бедой,—что выжидают, когда на их царя обрушится поток несчастий; что скрываются, взращивая обиду; что коварны и тайно устремлены к вреду,—все такие люди становятся орудием врага.

Word by Word

• संतापिताः: afflicted, tormented
• संतापिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संतापित (संतापय्-धातोः क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• आश्न: hope (as object: having/with hope)
• आश्न: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• ये: who, those who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम) + चित् (निपात)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• व्यसनौघप्रतीक्षिणः: waiting for a flood/heap of calamities
• व्यसनौघप्रतीक्षिणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यसन-ओघ-प्रतीक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अन्तर्तहिताḥ: hidden within, concealed
• अन्तर्तहिताḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तर्-तहित (धा-धातोः क्त; तहित = स्थापित/निहित)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सोपदहिताः: with (inner) deceit/guile; having something laid near/kept (in mind)
• सोपदहिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-उपदहित (धा-धातोः क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ते: they, those
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• परसाधनाः: instruments/agents of others (i.e., of enemies)
• परसाधनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर-साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler must be vigilant about disgruntled, concealed, and deceitful attendants: when resentment and covert malice take root, such people become tools of the enemy. Good governance includes recognizing and addressing grievances and preventing the rise of secret hostility within one’s own service.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on raja-dharma, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira about dangers within the royal establishment. Here he characterizes a class of servants who, while outwardly present, inwardly wait for the king’s downfall and thus function as agents for opposing forces.