Shloka 21

Brāhmaṇa-kṛtya, Āśrama-niyama, and Dāna-prasaṃsā

Duties of the Brāhmaṇa, āśrama discipline, and praise of giving

Devanagari script

यदेवमनुजातस्य धातारो विदधु: पुरा । तदेवानुचरिष्यामि किं मे मृत्यु: करिष्यति

Transliteration

yad evam anujātasya dhātāro vidadhuḥ purā | tad evānucariṣyāmi kiṁ me mṛtyuḥ kariṣyati ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను— నా జన్మారంభంలో విధాతలు నాకు ఏ విధానాన్ని నిర్ణయించారో, జన్మించిన నాటి నుంచీ నేను అదే అనుసరిస్తూ వచ్చాను; ఇకముందూ అలాగే అనుసరిస్తాను. అప్పుడు మృత్యువు నాకేమి చేయగలదు?

Word by Word

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• अनुजातस्य: of (me) who has been born/come into being
• अनुजातस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुजात
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• धातारः: the ordainers/creators
• धातारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विदधुः: ordained, arranged
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (वि + धा)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• पुरा: formerly, long ago
• पुरा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• अनुचरिष्यामि: I shall follow
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (अनु + चर्)
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive/Dative, Singular

• मृत्युः: death
• मृत्युः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• करिष्यति: will do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Dhātāraḥ (the Ordainers/Disposers)
• Mṛtyu (Death)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Steadfast adherence to one’s ordained dharma and life-course removes fear of death: when one acts in alignment with the dispensation set by the cosmic order, death loses its power to intimidate.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction-setting, Bhishma speaks from his bed of arrows, expressing unwavering resolve: he has lived according to what was ordained for him and will continue so, declaring that death cannot shake him.