Shloka 33

अध्याय ५६ — च्यवन–कुशिकसंवादः

Cyavana–Kuśika Dialogue on Lineage, Conflict, and Transmission

Devanagari script

त्रिदण्डं वज़सूच्यग्रं प्रतोद॑ तत्र चादधत्‌ | सर्वमेतत्‌ तथा दत्त्वा नृपो वाक्यमथाब्रवीत्‌

Transliteration

tridaṇḍaṃ vajrasūcyagraṃ pratodaṃ tatra cādadhat | sarvam etat tathā dattvā nṛpo vākyam athābravīt ||

Translation

Bhishma nói: Tại đó, nhà vua còn đặt lên xe một cây roi/cây thúc có gắn ba thanh ở phía trước, đầu nhọn sắc như mũi kim bằng kim cương. Sau khi dâng bày đầy đủ mọi vật ấy theo đúng nghi thức, nhà vua liền cất lời—như báo hiệu việc chuẩn bị đã hoàn tất và bắt đầu hỏi về cách dùng cùng mục đích của chúng.

Word by Word

• त्रिदण्डम्: three-rod (whip/implement)
• त्रिदण्डम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वज्रसूच्यग्रम्: having a tip like a thunderbolt-needle (needle-sharp tip)
• वज्रसूच्यग्रम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्रसूच्यग्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रतोदम्: goad/whip
• प्रतोदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतोद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तत्र: there/on it
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

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

• आदधत्: placed/put (down)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + धा
• Form: Imperfect, Third, Singular

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तथा: thus/in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• दत्त्वा: having given/after presenting
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), Active

• नृपः: the king
• नृपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वाक्यम्: words/speech
• वाक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect, Third, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• nṛpa (the king)
• tridaṇḍa-pratoda (three-rod goad/whip)
• vajrasūcī (adamantine needle-like tip)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the careful, methodical preparation of royal instruments and implies an ethical subtext: power and control (symbolized by the goad/whip) must be handled with deliberation and accountability, not impulsively.

What is happening in the narrative?

A king completes the presentation/arrangement of equipment—specifically placing a sharp-tipped, three-rod goad/whip—and, after setting everything in order, begins to speak, indicating a transition to questioning or instruction.