Shloka 4

Cavana’s Tests of Kuśika and the Queen (अध्याय ५३: च्यवन–कुशिक-परिक्षा)

Devanagari script

निहत्य मान क्रोध॑ च प्रहर्ष शोकमेव च । वर्षाणि द्वादश मुनिर्जलवासे धृतव्रत:,वे अभिमान, क्रोध, हर्ष और शोकका परित्याग करके दृढ़तापूर्वक व्रतका पालन करते हुए बारह वर्षो-तक जलके भीतर रहे

Transliteration

nihātya mānaṁ krodhaṁ ca praharṣa-śokam eva ca | varṣāṇi dvādaśa munir jalavāse dhṛtavrataḥ ||

Translation

ครั้นปราบมานะและโทสะเสียแล้ว ทั้งละความยินดีและความเศร้าโศกด้วย ฤๅษีผู้ทรงพรตมั่นคงนั้นได้พำนักอยู่ในวารีสถานตลอดสิบสองปี

Word by Word

निहत्यhaving slain/overcome; having abandoned

मानम्pride; self-regard

क्रोधम्anger

चand

प्रहर्षम्exultation; joy

शोकम्grief; sorrow

एवindeed; just

चand

वर्षाणिyears

द्वादशtwelve

मुनिःthe sage

जलवासेin dwelling in water; in the water-abode

धृतव्रतःone who has undertaken/kept a vow; firm in vow

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

muni (sage)

jalavāsa (watery abode)

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?

True discipline begins with inner victory: pride and anger must be ‘killed,’ and even the swings of elation and grief should be relinquished. Steadfastness in vows over time is presented as the mark of ethical and spiritual maturity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma describes an exemplary sage who, after renouncing key emotional disturbances, undertakes a severe austerity—dwelling within water for twelve years—while maintaining strict observance of his vow.