Shloka 13

Bhīṣmadeva’s Passing Away in the Presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa

Devanagari script

संस्थितेऽतिरथे पाण्डौ पृथा बालप्रजा वधू: । युष्मत्कृते बहून् क्लेशान् प्राप्ता तोकवती मुहु: ॥ १३ ॥

Transliteration

saṁsthite ’tirathe pāṇḍau pṛthā bāla-prajā vadhūḥ yuṣmat-kṛte bahūn kleśān prāptā tokavatī muhuḥ

Translation

ส่วนกุนตี (ปฤถา) ลูกสะใภ้ของข้า เมื่อปาณฑุผู้เป็นมหาอธิรถะสิ้นชีวิต นางก็เป็นม่ายพร้อมลูกน้อยมากมาย จึงต้องทนทุกข์อย่างยิ่ง และเมื่อพวกเจ้ามีวัยแล้ว นางก็ยังต้องรับความลำบากซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่าเพราะการกระทำของพวกเจ้า

Synonyms

• संस्थिते: when (he) had departed/was gone
• संस्थिते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+स्था (धातु) → संस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; क्तान्त; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• अतिरथे: the great warrior
• अतिरथे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘पाण्डौ’ के विशेषणरूपेण सति-सप्तमी

• पाण्डौ: when Pāṇḍu (was gone)
• पाण्डौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• पृथा: Pṛthā (Kuntī)
• पृथा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृपद

• बालप्रजा: having young children
• बालप्रजा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल-प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक) [बाल+प्रजा]
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘वधूः/पृथा’ का विशेषण—‘बालाः प्रजाः यस्याः’ (having young children)

• वधूः: the bride/widow
• वधूः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वधू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृपद (apposition to पृथा)

• युष्मत्कृते: for your sake
• युष्मत्कृते: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युष्मद्-कृत (प्रातिपदिक) [युष्मद्+कृत]
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; हेतु/निमित्ते सप्तमी—‘for your sake’

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘क्लेशान्’ का विशेषण

• क्लेशान्: troubles
• क्लेशान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्लेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्मपद

• प्राप्ता: experienced/underwent
• प्राप्ता: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्तान्त (past participle) विधेय—‘(she) attained/underwent’

• तोकवती: having children
• तोकवती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तोकवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; मतुप्/वत्-प्रत्ययान्त—‘having children’

• मुहुः: again and again
• मुहुः: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Purport

The sufferings of Kuntīdevī are doubly lamented. She suffered greatly because of early widowhood and to get her minor children brought up in the royal family. And when her children were grown up, she continued to suffer because of her sons’ actions. So her sufferings continued. This means that she was destined to suffer by providence, and this one has to tolerate without being disturbed.

Characters & Entities

• Pāṇḍu
• Pṛthā (Kuntī)

FAQs

Why did Kunti suffer so much according to Srimad Bhagavatam 1.9.13?

Bhīṣma states that after Pāṇḍu’s death, Kuntī—raising small children—endured repeated hardships, and he attributes these sufferings to Krishna’s arrangement within His divine plan.

Why did Bhishma say this to Krishna?

While offering prayers before leaving his body, Bhīṣma recalls how Krishna guided events around the Pāṇḍavas and Kuntī, highlighting His hidden protection even amid their trials.

How can this verse be applied in modern life?

It encourages steadiness in devotion during adversity—seeing repeated challenges as occasions to deepen surrender, rather than as proof of abandonment.