Shloka 12

Vītahavya’s Attainment of Brāhmaṇya (Vītahavya–Vipratva) | वीतहव्यस्य ब्राह्मण्यप्राप्तिः

Devanagari script

काण्डपृष्ठिश्चिरं काल॑ तत्रैव परिवर्तते । ततस्तु त्रिशते काले लभते जपतामपि

Transliteration

Bhīṣma uvāca | kāṇḍapṛṣṭhiś ciraṃ kālaṃ tatraiva parivartate | tatas tu triśate kāle labhate japatām api |

Translation

‘కాండపృష్ట’గా ఉన్నప్పటికీ అతడు దీర్ఘకాలం అక్కడే, అదే యోనిలో తిరుగుతూ ఉంటాడు. ఆపై మూడు వందల కాలం గడిచిన తరువాత జపం చేసే బ్రాహ్మణుని ఇంట జన్మిస్తాడు—అది కేవలం గాయత్రీ జపమే అయినా సరే.

Word by Word

• काण्डपृष्ठिः: the (being) with a back like a stalk/rod; a kind of creature (kāṇḍapṛṣṭhi)
• काण्डपृष्ठिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: काण्डपृष्ठि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• चिरम्: for a long time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम्

• कालम्: time (duration)
• कालम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

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

• परिवर्तते: keeps turning about / remains revolving
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि√वृत्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• ततः: then/from that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

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

• त्रिशते: when three hundred (years) have (passed)
• त्रिशते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिशत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• काले: in time/at the time
• काले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• लभते: obtains/attains (gets)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• जपताम्: of those who recite (japa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जपत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Gāyatrī (implied by the Hindi gloss)
• Brāhmaṇa (a Brahmin householder who performs japa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores karmic continuity and gradual uplift: after prolonged suffering in a lower birth, merit associated with sacred recitation (japa), even minimal such as Gāyatrī-japa, becomes a cause for obtaining a higher human birth in a Brahmin household.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma describes a being remaining for a very long time in the same womb/state, and after three hundred years passing, gaining rebirth connected with a Brahmin who practices japa—framed as a transition from a degraded condition toward a more dharmic human context.