Shloka 11
Devanagari script
कि त्वया पापकं पूर्व कृतं कर्म सुदारुणम् । यस्त्वं श्मशाने मृतकान् पूतिकानत्सि कुत्सितान्
Transliteration
ki tvayā pāpakaṁ pūrvaṁ kṛtaṁ karma sudāruṇam | yas tvaṁ śmaśāne mṛtakān pūtikān atsi kutsitān ||
Translation
किं त्वया पापकं पूर्वं कृतं कर्म सुदारुणम्। यतस्त्वं श्मशाने मृतकान् पूतिकान् कुत्सितान् अत्सि॥
Word by Word
किम्what
किम्:
TypePronoun
Rootकिम्
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
त्वयाby you
त्वया:
Karana
TypePronoun
Rootयुष्मद्
FormInstrumental, Singular
पापकम्sinful (deed)
पापकम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootपापक
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
पूर्वम्formerly, earlier
पूर्वम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपूर्व
कृतम्done, committed
कृतम्:
TypeVerb
Rootकृ
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Accusative, Singular
कर्मdeed, act
कर्म:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकर्मन्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
सुदारुणम्very dreadful, extremely cruel
सुदारुणम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootसुदारुण
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
यःwho/that which
यः:
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
त्वम्you
त्वम्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootयुष्मद्
FormNominative, Singular
श्मशानेin the cremation-ground
श्मशाने:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootश्मशान
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
मृतकान्dead bodies
मृतकान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमृतक
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
पूतिकान्foul-smelling, putrid
पूतिकान्:
TypeAdjective
Rootपूतिक
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
अत्सिyou eat
अत्सि:
TypeVerb
Rootअद्
FormPresent (लट्), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada
कुत्सितान्disgusting, contemptible
कुत्सितान्:
TypeAdjective
Rootकुत्सित
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhishmaŚ
śmaśāna (cremation-ground)M
mṛtaka (corpse)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds karmic causality: horrific present conditions are framed as the ripened result of prior grievous wrongdoing, prompting ethical reflection on how actions generate consequences.
Bhishma poses a direct moral inquiry to a being found in a cremation-ground eating putrid corpses, asking what dreadful past deed could have led to such a degraded state.