Shloka 43

उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel

Devanagari script

एवं स बहुशो राजन्‌ पुरोधसमुपाहसत्‌ । लक्षयित्वा पुरोधास्तु बहुशस्तं नराधिपम्‌

Transliteration

evaṁ sa bahuśo rājan purodhasam upāhasat | lakṣayitvā purodhās tu bahuśas taṁ narādhipam ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：“于是，王啊，他屡次讥笑、嘲弄王家祭司。然而那位普罗希塔一再观察君主，谨慎地记下了他的举止。”

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

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

• बहुशः: many times, repeatedly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुशः

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पुरोधसम्: the family priest, chaplain
• पुरोधसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोधस्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उपाहसत्: mocked, laughed at
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-हस्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• लक्षयित्वा: having noticed, having observed
• Type: Verb
• Root: लक्ष्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• पुरोधाः: the priest
• पुरोधाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोधा
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but, however
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• बहुशः: many times, repeatedly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुशः

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नराधिपम्: the lord of men, king
• नराधिपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधिप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• rājan (the king being addressed)
• purohita/purodhas (royal priest)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a dharmic norm of restraint and respect: a ruler’s repeated mockery of a priest is ethically blameworthy, and wise counselors observe such conduct to judge character and foresee consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates that a king repeatedly ridiculed his purohita; the priest, instead of reacting impulsively, carefully watched the king’s repeated behavior, indicating a measured response and attentive discernment.