Shloka 13

Devanagari script

सप्ताष्टदिवसास्त्वद्य विप्रस्येहागतस्य वै । तच्च कार्य न मे ख्याति दर्शनं तव काडक्षति,परंतु आज पंद्रह दिनसे एक ब्राह्मणदेवता यहाँ पधारे हुए हैं। वे मुझसे अपना कोई कार्य नहीं बता रहे हैं। केवल आपका दर्शन चाहते हैं

Transliteration

saptāṣṭa-divasās tv adya viprasyehāgatasya vai | tac ca kāryaṃ na me khyāti darśanaṃ tava kāṅkṣati ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—ఇక్కడికి వచ్చిన ఆ బ్రాహ్మణదేవునికి నేడు ఏడు లేదా ఎనిమిది రోజులు అయ్యాయి. అతడు తన కార్యమేమిటో నాకు చెప్పలేదు; అతడు కేవలం మీ దర్శనమే కోరుతున్నాడు.

Word by Word

सप्तseven

अष्टeight

दिवसाःdays

तुbut/indeed

अद्यtoday/now

विप्रस्यof the brahmin

इहhere

आगतस्यof (one) who has come/arrived

वैindeed/verily

तत्that (matter/thing)

चand

कार्यम्task/business (to be done)

नnot

मेto me/for me

ख्यातिis known/knownness; knowledge

दर्शनम्seeing/audience/vision

तवof you/your

काङ्क्षतिdesires/longs for

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

a brahmin (vipra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

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 dharmic attentiveness: when a brahmin guest arrives and remains without stating his purpose, the host must still treat the situation seriously, recognizing that a request for ‘darśana’ can itself be a meaningful, duty-laden appeal rather than mere curiosity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma informs the addressed person that a brahmin has been present for several days. The brahmin has not disclosed any specific errand to Bhishma and appears to seek only an audience—‘the sight’—of the person being addressed.