Shloka 18
Devanagari script
अर्ठमानो यत्र गृप्रै: शितिकण्ठैरयोमुखै: । ततश्न पुनरावृत्त: पापयोनिं गमिष्यसि
Transliteration
arthamāno yatra gṛpraiḥ śitikaṇṭhair ayomukhaiḥ | tataś ca punarāvṛttaḥ pāpayoniṃ gamiṣyasi
Translation
आकृष्यमाणो यत्र गृध्रैः शितिकण्ठैरयोमुखैः । ततश्च पुनरावृत्तः पापयोनिं गमिष्यसि ॥
Word by Word
अर्थमानःseeking/asking for (gain)
अर्थमानः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
यत्रwhere
यत्र:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयत्र
गृध्रैःby vultures
गृध्रैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootगृध्र (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
शितिकण्ठैःwith dark/blue necks
शितिकण्ठैः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootशितिकण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
अयोमुखैःiron-beaked/iron-faced
अयोमुखैः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootअयोमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
ततःfrom there/thereafter
ततः:
Apadana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः
पुनःagain
पुनः:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुनः
आवृत्तःhaving returned
आवृत्तः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootआ-√वृत् (धातु)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
पापयोनिम्a sinful womb/birth
पापयोनिम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootपापयोनि (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
गमिष्यसिyou will go/attain
गमिष्यसि:
Karta
TypeVerb
Root√गम् (धातु)
FormSimple Future (Luṭ), Second, Singular
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaG
gṛdhra (vultures/birds of prey)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Actions that violate dharma lead to painful post-mortem consequences and, after returning to worldly existence, to an inferior or sinful rebirth; therefore one should restrain harmful impulses and choose righteous conduct.
Bhīṣma is describing a punitive otherworldly scene—being tormented by fierce birds—then stating that after such suffering the person returns to samsāra and is born into a “sinful womb,” illustrating the karmic chain from wrongdoing to punishment to degraded rebirth.