Shloka 6

Devanagari script

स तत्र व्रीडित: शुष्को मृतकल्पो5वतिष्ठते । श्लाघन्नश्लाघनीयेन कर्मणा निरपत्रप:

Transliteration

sa tatra vrīḍitaḥ śuṣko mṛtakalpo ’vatiṣṭhate | ślāghann aślāghanīyena karmaṇā nirapatrapaḥ ||

Translation

Там он стоит, пристыженный и иссохший, словно уже мёртвый; и всё же, без стыда, хвастается деянием, недостойным похвалы.

Word by Word

सःhe

तत्रthere

व्रीडितःashamed

शुष्कःwithered, dried up

मृतकल्पःlike dead, as if dead

अवतिष्ठतेstands, remains

श्लाघन्praising, boasting

अश्लाघनीयेनby/with what is not praiseworthy

कर्मणाby an act/deed

निरपत्रपःshameless, without modesty

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A person who commits an ignoble act may be inwardly consumed by shame and moral collapse, yet still try to mask it through shameless boasting. True worth is not created by self-praise; actions must be intrinsically dhārmic to deserve honor.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes a type of wrongdoer: he remains in a state of inner humiliation and lifelessness, but paradoxically advertises his blameworthy deed as if it were admirable—revealing both guilt and moral insensibility.