Shloka 26

Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्

Devanagari script

अस्मिन्‌ काले5थ सोल्पायुर्दिष्टान्तमगमत्‌ प्रभु: । ते त॑ क्षुधाभिसंतप्ता: परिवार्योपतस्थिरे

Transliteration

asmin kāle ’tha so ’lpāyur diṣṭāntam agamat prabhuḥ | te tu kṣudhābhisantaptāḥ parivāryopatasthire ||

Translation

अस्मिन् कालेऽथ सोऽल्पायुः दिष्टान्तमगमत् प्रभुः । ते तं क्षुधाभिसंतप्ताः परिवार्योपतस्थिरे ॥

Word by Word

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• काले: time
• काले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अल्पायुḥ: short-lived
• अल्पायुḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्पायु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दिष्टान्तम्: the appointed end (death)
• दिष्टान्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिष्टान्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अगमत्: went/attained
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Aorist (simple past), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• प्रभुः: the lord/king
• प्रभुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• क्षुधा: by hunger
• क्षुधा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुध्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• अभिसंतप्ताः: tormented/afflicted
• अभिसंतप्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-सम्-तप्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle, used adjectivally), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• परिवार्य: having surrounded
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि-√वृ (वृणोति/वर्तते sense: to surround)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund)

• उपतस्थिरे: stood near/attended
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-स्था
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Plural, Atmanepada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• a young prince (alpāyuḥ prabhuḥ)
• the sages (ṛṣis; contextually identified as Saptarṣis in the accompanying gloss)
• famine (durbhikṣa; from the accompanying gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the collision between destiny (diṣṭa) and human conduct under extreme need: famine and hunger can pressure even revered figures, and dharma is tested most sharply when survival instincts rise.

What is happening in the narrative?

A short-lived prince dies at that moment. The hungry sages, suffering in a time of famine, gather around the child’s body, indicating a tense situation that anticipates an ethical dilemma about right action amid scarcity.