Shloka 13

Vītahavya’s Attainment of Brāhmaṇya (Vītahavya–Vipratva) | वीतहव्यस्य ब्राह्मण्यप्राप्तिः

Devanagari script

तं च प्राप्य चिरं काल॑ तत्रैव परिवर्तते | ततश्चतुःशते काले श्रोत्रियो नाम जायते । श्रोत्रियत्वे चिरं काल॑ तत्रैव परिवर्तते

Transliteration

taṃ ca prāpya ciraṃ kālaṃ tatraiva parivartate | tataś catuḥśate kāle śrotriyo nāma jāyate | śrotriyatve ciraṃ kālaṃ tatraiva parivartate |

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Đã đạt được cảnh sinh ấy rồi, nó còn xoay vần rất lâu ngay trong chính tình trạng đó, sinh rồi tử, tử rồi sinh. Rồi khi bốn trăm năm đã qua, nó sinh vào một gia tộc bà-la-môn với danh phận śrotriya—bậc thông đạt Veda; và ngay cả trong địa vị śrotriya ấy, nó vẫn còn lưu chuyển rất lâu trong cùng một phạm vi tồn tại.”

Word by Word

• तम्: him/that (being)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• प्राप्य: having attained
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप्
• Form: Lyap (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• चिरम्: for a long time
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular, adverbial

• कालम्: time/period
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, duration (accusative of time)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• परिवर्तते: keeps revolving/continues to transmigrate
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-वृत्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• ततः: then/thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• चतुःशते: in (the period of) four hundred
• चतुःशते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुःशत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular, time-locative

• काले: at the time/when the time (has passed)
• काले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• श्रोत्रियः: a Veda-knower (śrotriya)
• श्रोत्रियः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रोत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नाम: by name/as (called)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम

• जायते: is born/arises
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• श्रोत्रियत्वे: in the state of being a śrotriya
• श्रोत्रियत्वे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रोत्रियत्व
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• चिरम्: for a long time
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular, adverbial

• कालम्: time/period
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, duration (accusative of time)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• परिवर्तते: keeps revolving/continues to transmigrate
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-वृत्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• śrotriya (Veda-knower Brāhmaṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Karmic evolution is gradual: one may remain long within a given mode of existence, and only after time and maturation of merit does one attain a higher birth—here, the status of a śrotriya Brāhmaṇa—yet even that status involves continued saṃsāric movement unless supported by sustained dharmic conduct and deeper realization.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is describing a being’s post-action trajectory through saṃsāra: after reaching a certain birth, he keeps revolving there for a long time; after a span described as four hundred years, he is born into a Brāhmaṇa family as a śrotriya (Veda-knower) and continues to circulate within that condition for a long time.