Shloka 9

अध्याय ५६ — च्यवन–कुशिकसंवादः

Cyavana–Kuśika Dialogue on Lineage, Conflict, and Transmission

Devanagari script

तौ तथेति प्रतिश्रुत्य क्षुधितौ श्रमकर्शितौ । शतपाकेन तैलेन महार्हेणोपतस्थतु:,यद्यपि राजा-रानी भूख-प्याससे पीड़ित और अत्यन्त दुर्बल हो गये थे तो भी “बहुत अच्छा” कहकर वे राजदम्पति सौ बार पकाकर तैयार किये हुए बहुमूल्य तेलको लेकर उनकी सेवामें जुट गये

Transliteration

tau tatheti pratiśrutya kṣudhitau śramakarśitau | śatapākena tailena mahārheṇopatasthatuḥ ||

Translation

وہ دونوں “یوں ہی ہو” کہہ کر راضی ہوئے—اگرچہ بھوک سے بےتاب اور تھکن سے نڈھال تھے—اور سو بار پکا کر تیار کیا گیا نہایت قیمتی تیل لے کر خدمت میں حاضر ہو گئے۔

Word by Word

तौthose two (they)

तथाthus / so

इतिthus (quotative)

प्रतिश्रुत्यhaving promised / having assented

क्षुधितौhungry

श्रमकर्शितौworn down by fatigue

शतपाकेनwith (oil) cooked a hundred times

तैलेनwith oil

महार्हेणvery valuable / precious

उपतस्थतुःthey attended / served

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

a royal couple (king and queen, implied by context)

śatapāka taila (hundred-times cooked precious oil)

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 dharma expressed as steadfast service and hospitality: even when afflicted by hunger and exhaustion, one should uphold one’s pledged duty and honor guests or those deserving care, offering the best one can.

What is happening in the narrative?

After agreeing (“so be it”), two individuals—despite being hungry and fatigued—approach to serve, bringing an especially precious offering: oil refined by being cooked a hundred times, indicating both devotion and the value placed on proper service.