Shloka 17

Vivāha-dharma: Kanyā-pradāna, Śulka, and Pāṇigrahaṇa-niṣṭhā (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय ४४)

Devanagari script

अवैक्षत सहस्राक्षस्तदा दिव्येन चक्षुषा । स ददर्श मुनि तस्या: शरीरान्तरगोचरम्‌

Transliteration

avaikṣata sahasrākṣas tadā divyena cakṣuṣā | sa dadarśa munis tasyāḥ śarīrāntaragocaram ||

Translation

Bhishma nói: Bấy giờ Indra ngàn mắt dùng thiên nhãn nhìn kỹ. Và ngài thấy vị mâu-ni đã nhập vào trong thân thể nàng—phơi bày sự thật ẩn kín sau dáng vẻ bên ngoài, cùng nguyên nhân nội tại của sự đổi khác ấy.

Word by Word

• अवैक्षत्: looked at, beheld
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-ईक्ष्
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), 3, singular, Parasmaipada

• सहस्राक्षः: the thousand-eyed one (Indra)
• सहस्राक्षः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्राक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• दिव्येन: with divine
• दिव्येन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• चक्षुषा: with (his) eye/vision
• चक्षुषा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्षुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• ददर्श: saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), 3, singular, Parasmaipada

• मुनिम्: the sage
• मुनिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• तस्याः: of her
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, genitive, singular

• शरीर-अन्तर-गॊचरम्: moving/being within the interior of (her) body; body-internal
• शरीर-अन्तर-गॊचरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शरीरान्तरगोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Indra (Sahasrākṣa)
• a sage (muni)
• a woman (tasyāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that moral and factual reality may be concealed by outward appearances, and that true discernment—symbolized by Indra’s divine sight—penetrates to inner causes. Ethically, it cautions against judging solely by externals and points to the need for deeper insight when assessing conduct and consequence.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing what has been said, Indra (called Sahasrākṣa) uses divine vision to look at the woman and perceives a sage present within her body—an unseen factor explaining her inner agitation and the situation’s hidden truth.