Shloka 13

Devanagari script

त्याज्यं त्यक्त्वा चासुराणां वधाय कार्याकार्ये कारणं चैव पार्थ | कृतं करिष्यत्‌ क्रियते च देवो राहुं सोम॑ विद्धि च शक्रमेनम्‌

Transliteration

tyājyaṃ tyaktvā cāsurāṇāṃ vadhāya kāryākārye kāraṇaṃ caiva pārtha | kṛtaṃ kariṣyat kriyate ca devo rāhuṃ somaṃ viddhi ca śakram enam, kuntīnandana! |

Translation

ఓ పార్థా! త్యజించవలసినదాన్ని త్యజించి, ఆయనే అసురుల వధకు స్వయంగా కారణమవుతాడు. కార్యం, అకార్యం మరియు వాటి కారణం—ఇవి అన్నీ ఆయన స్వరూపమే. ఆ దేవుడు కృతం, క్రియమాణం, కరిష్యత్—మూడు కాలాల కర్మరూపమే. ఓ కుంతీనందనా! ఆయననే రాహువుగా, సోముడుగా (చంద్రుడుగా), శక్రుడుగా (ఇంద్రుడుగా) తెలుసుకో.

Word by Word

• त्याज्यम्: to be abandoned
• त्याज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्याज्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• असुराणाम्: of the Asuras
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• वधाय: for the slaying
• वधाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• कार्य: what ought to be done (duty)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अकार्ये: in what ought not to be done (prohibited act)
• अकार्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकार्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• कारणम्: cause
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• पार्थ: O Partha (Arjuna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कृतम्: done (past action)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• करिष्यत्: that which will be done / about to do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Future active participle

• क्रियते: is done / is being done
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Present, Atmanepada (Passive-like usage), Third, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• देवः: the god (the divine one)
• देवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राहुम्: Rahu
• राहुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सोमम्: Soma (the Moon)
• सोमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विद्धि: know (you should know)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Imperative, Parasmaipada, Second, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• शक्रम्: Shakra (Indra)
• शक्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एनम्: this one / him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कुन्तीनन्दन: O son of Kunti
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुन्ती-नन्दन
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Arjuna (Partha, Kuntinandana)
• Asuras
• Deva (the Lord, identified with Narayana/Vishnu in context)
• Rahu
• Soma (Moon)
• Shakra (Indra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma presents the Lord as the ultimate ground of moral discernment and causality: He is the basis of what should be done and avoided, and the causal power by which even world-protecting violence (the destruction of asuras) occurs. The verse frames ethical action within a theistic-cosmic order, where duty and its consequences are ultimately rooted in the divine.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs Arjuna on dharma and the supremacy of the divine (commonly understood here as Narayana). In this verse he emphasizes that the same Lord manifests as major cosmic powers (Rahu, the Moon, Indra) and as the very flow of actions across time, thereby urging Arjuna to recognize divine sovereignty behind events and duties.