Shloka 26

Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्

Devanagari script

अस्मिन्‌ काले5थ सोल्पायुर्दिष्टान्तमगमत्‌ प्रभु: । ते त॑ क्षुधाभिसंतप्ता: परिवार्योपतस्थिरे

Transliteration

asmin kāle ’tha so ’lpāyur diṣṭāntam agamat prabhuḥ | te tu kṣudhābhisantaptāḥ parivāryopatasthire ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Trong thời kỳ đói kém ấy, vị vương tử còn trẻ—đã được định số là yểu mệnh—đã gặp cái chết đúng kỳ hạn. Các bậc hiền triết, bị cơn đói hành hạ, tụ lại quanh thi thể đứa trẻ và đứng vây kín.”

Word by Word

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• काले: time
• काले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अल्पायुḥ: short-lived
• अल्पायुḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्पायु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दिष्टान्तम्: the appointed end (death)
• दिष्टान्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिष्टान्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अगमत्: went/attained
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Aorist (simple past), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• प्रभुः: the lord/king
• प्रभुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• क्षुधा: by hunger
• क्षुधा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुध्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• अभिसंतप्ताः: tormented/afflicted
• अभिसंतप्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-सम्-तप्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle, used adjectivally), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• परिवार्य: having surrounded
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि-√वृ (वृणोति/वर्तते sense: to surround)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund)

• उपतस्थिरे: stood near/attended
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-स्था
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Plural, Atmanepada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• a young prince (alpāyuḥ prabhuḥ)
• the sages (ṛṣis; contextually identified as Saptarṣis in the accompanying gloss)
• famine (durbhikṣa; from the accompanying gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the collision between destiny (diṣṭa) and human conduct under extreme need: famine and hunger can pressure even revered figures, and dharma is tested most sharply when survival instincts rise.

What is happening in the narrative?

A short-lived prince dies at that moment. The hungry sages, suffering in a time of famine, gather around the child’s body, indicating a tense situation that anticipates an ethical dilemma about right action amid scarcity.