Shloka 27

बक-गौतमाख्यानम् / The Baka–Gautama Account

On Gratitude and Friendship Ethics

Devanagari script

हिरण्यकशिपुश्चैव हिरण्याक्षो विरोचन: । शम्बरो विप्रचित्तिश्न विराधो नमुचिरबलि:

Transliteration

hiraṇyakaśipuś caiva hiraṇyākṣo virocanaḥ | śambaro vipracittiś ca virādho namucir baliḥ ||

Translation

भीष्म उवाच—हिरण्यकशिपुश्चैव हिरण्याक्षो विरोचनः। शम्बरो विप्रचित्तिश्च विराधो नमुचिर्बलिः॥ एते चान्ये च बहवो दैत्यदानवाः स्वैः स्वैः परिजनैः सह धर्ममर्यादामतिक्रम्य अधर्मे दृढनिश्चयाः प्रमोदामोदपरायणाः समजीवन्।

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'हिरण्यकशिपु (hiraṇyakaśipu)', 'definition': 'Hiranyakashipu

• a prominent Daitya king, emblematic of arrogance and hostility to dharma'}, {'term': 'हिरण्याक्ष (hiraṇyākṣa)', 'definition': 'Hiranyaksha

• a Daitya, often paired with Hiranyakashipu in mythic narratives'}, {'term': 'विरोचन (virocana)', 'definition': 'Virochana

• a Daitya figure, associated with the Asura lineage'}, {'term': 'शम्बर (śambara)', 'definition': 'Shambara

• a Danava/Asura, frequently portrayed as a powerful adversary of the gods'}, {'term': 'विप्रचित्ति (vipracitti)', 'definition': 'Viprachitti

• a Danava, often named among leading Asuras'}, {'term': 'विराध (virādha)', 'definition': 'Viradha

• a demonic figure known from broader epic tradition'}, {'term': 'नमुचि (namuci)', 'definition': 'Namuchi

• an Asura, traditionally an enemy of Indra'}, {'term': 'बलि (bali)', 'definition': 'Bali

• the Daitya king, famed in later tradition for power and the Vamana episode'}, {'term': 'धर्ममर्यादा (dharma-maryādā)', 'definition': 'the boundary/limit and normative restraint of dharma

• moral and social order'}, {'term': 'उल्लङ्घन (ullaṅghana)', 'definition': 'transgression

• overstepping, violation'}, {'term': 'अधर्म (adharma)', 'definition': 'unrighteousness

• conduct opposed to dharma'}, {'term': 'दृढ़ निश्चय (dṛḍha niścaya)', 'definition': 'firm resolve

• settled determination'}, {'term': 'आमोद-प्रमोद (āmoda-pramoda)', 'definition': 'pleasure and revelry

• indulgent enjoyment'}, {'term': 'दैत्य (daitya)', 'definition': 'Daitya

• a class of Asuras, often portrayed as opponents of the devas'}, {'term': 'दानव (dānava)', 'definition': 'Danava

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Hiranyakashipu
• Hiranyaksha
• Virochana
• Shambara
• Viprachitti
• Viradha
• Namuchi
• Bali
• Daityas
• Danavas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That deliberate violation of dharma (dharma-maryādā-ullaṅghana) and a settled commitment to adharma, even when accompanied by prosperity and pleasure, marks ethical decline and becomes a cause of downfall; enjoyment without restraint is portrayed as spiritually and socially corrosive.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma lists well-known Daitya and Danava leaders and states that they, along with many others and their followers, chose to transgress dharma and live in indulgent revelry, firmly intent on unrighteous conduct.