Shloka 45

अध्याय ५६ — च्यवन–कुशिकसंवादः

Cyavana–Kuśika Dialogue on Lineage, Conflict, and Transmission

Devanagari script

तौ दृष्टवा पौरवर्गस्तु भूशं शोकसमाकुल: । अभिशापभयत्रस्तो न च किंचिदुवाच ह,पुरवासियोंका समुदाय उन दोनोंकी यह दुर्दशा देखकर शोकसे अत्यन्त व्याकुल हो रहा था। सब लोग मुनिके शापसे डरते थे; इसलिये कोई कुछ बोल नहीं रहा था

Transliteration

tau dṛṣṭvā pauravargas tu bhūśaṁ śokasamākulaḥ | abhiśāpabhayatrasto na ca kiñcid uvāca ha ||

Translation

వారిని అట్టి దయనీయ స్థితిలో చూసి పట్టణ ప్రజలు తీవ్ర శోకంలో మునిగిపోయారు; కాని ముని శాపభయంతో ఎవ్వరూ ఏ మాటా పలకలేకపోయారు।

Word by Word

तौthose two

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

पौरवर्गःthe group of townspeople

तुbut/indeed

भूशम्greatly, exceedingly

शोकसमाकुलःoverwhelmed with grief

अभिशापभयत्रस्तःfrightened by fear of a curse

नnot

चand

किञ्चित्anything

उवाचsaid/spoke

हindeed (emphatic particle)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

townspeople/citizens (pauravarga)

two unnamed persons (tau)

a sage (implied by abhiśāpa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an ethical tension: people may feel genuine compassion, yet fear of spiritual or social repercussions can paralyze speech and action. It implicitly critiques silence born of fear, even when one witnesses suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes a scene where the citizens see two individuals in distress. The crowd is deeply saddened, but because they dread a sage’s curse, they remain silent and do not intervene or speak.