Shloka 30

आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः

Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca

Devanagari script

अपश्यदपरं घोरमात्मन: शत्रुमागतम्‌ | शरप्रसूनसड्काशं महीविवरशायिनम्‌

Transliteration

apaśyad aparaṁ ghoraṁ ātmanaḥ śatrum āgatam | śaraprasūna-saṅkāśaṁ mahī-vivara-śāyinam ||

Translation

अपश्यदपरं घोरमात्मनः शत्रुमागतम् । शरप्रसूनसङ्काशं महीविवरशायिनम् ॥

Word by Word

• अपश्यत्: saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अपरम्: another
• अपरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आत्मनः: of himself / his own
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• शत्रुम्: enemy
• शत्रुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आगतम्: come, arrived
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-गम्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शर-प्रसून-सदृशम्: resembling reed-flowers
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदृश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मही-विवर-शायिनम्: lying in an earth-cavity
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शायिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• enemy (śatru)
• śara-reed blossom (śaraprasūna)
• earth/ground (mahī)
• hollow/fissure (vivara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That threats may appear repeatedly and in concealed forms; ethical prudence requires alertness, careful perception, and not underestimating dangers that hide beneath outward calm.

What is happening in the narrative?

The protagonist (referred to by ‘he’) notices a second formidable enemy arriving, described by its brownish color like a śara-reed flower and by its habit of burrowing into the earth and lying hidden there.