Shloka 20

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

Devanagari script

नदीशैवलदिग्धाडुं हरिश्मश्रुजटाधरम्‌ । लग्नै: शड्खनखेैगत्रि क्रोडैश्वित्रिरिवार्पितम्‌

Transliteration

nadī-śaivala-digdhāṅgaṃ hari-śmaśru-jaṭā-dharam | lagnaiḥ śaṅkha-nakhair gātre kroḍa-citrair ivārpitam ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Toàn thân ông phủ đầy lớp nhớt tảo của sông. Râu mép, râu cằm và những lọn tóc bện (jaṭā) đã hóa xanh; còn tay chân, bị vỏ ốc và các loài thủy sinh khác cào xước, hiện lên như những hoa văn loang lổ—tựa những sợi lông kỳ dị của loài lợn rừng.”

Word by Word

• नदी: of the river
• नदी: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• शैवल: with algae/moss
• शैवल: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैवल
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• दिग्ध: smeared, plastered
• दिग्ध: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिग्ध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आडुम्: a boar (wild boar)
• आडुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आडु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हरि: green
• हरि: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हरि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्मश्रु: beard/moustache
• श्मश्रु: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मश्रु
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• जटा: matted locks
• जटा: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जटा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• धरम्: bearing, having
• धरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• लग्नैः: by things stuck/attached
• लग्नैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लग्न
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• शङ्ख: conch(-shell creatures)/conches
• शङ्ख: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• नखैः: by claws/nails
• नखैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नख
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• गात्रि: on the body/limb
• गात्रि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• क्रोडैः: by boars
• क्रोडैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोड
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• चित्रि: variegated, patterned
• चित्रि: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if, like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अर्पितम्: placed, set, applied
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्प्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (speaker)
• river (nadī)
• algae/aquatic moss (śaivala)
• conch/shell (śaṅkha)
• aquatic creatures (implied by ‘nails/claws’)
• boar (kroḍa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how sustained austerity and endurance leave tangible marks on the body; it implicitly values steadfastness (tapas) and self-discipline, presenting external hardship as a sign of inner resolve rather than mere suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is describing a figure whose body has been long in or near a river: algae has coated him, his facial hair and matted locks have turned green, and scratches or impressions from shells and aquatic creatures have patterned his limbs, making him look as if covered with boar-like mottled bristles.