Shloka 3

मातङ्ग–शक्रसंवादः

Mataṅga–Śakra Dialogue on Tapas, Status, and Moral Qualities

Devanagari script

शयानं वीरशयने कालाकाड्'क्षिणमच्युतम्‌ । आज ममुर्भरतश्रेष्ठ द्रष्टकामा महर्षय:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | śayānaṃ vīraśayane kālākāṅkṣiṇam acyutam | ājagmur bharataśreṣṭha draṣṭukāmā maharṣayaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：噢，婆罗多族中最卓越者！当毗湿摩卧于英雄之箭床上，坚忍不动，等待命定的死期之时，许多大圣仙——渴望一睹其风采——都来到那里。此景彰显毗湿摩在苦痛中仍不失自制的定力，也显出诸仙对一生奉行职责之人的敬仰。

Word by Word

• शयानम्: lying down
• शयानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शी (धातु) → शय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वीर-शयने: on the hero’s bed (bed of arrows)
• वीर-शयने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर + शयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• कालात्: from Time / from death-time
• कालात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• आकाङ्क्षिणम्: desiring, awaiting
• आकाङ्क्षिणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + काङ्क्ष् (धातु) → आकाङ्क्षिन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अच्युतम्: Acyuta (Krishna)
• अच्युतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अच्युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• द्रष्ट-कामाः: wishing to see
• द्रष्ट-कामाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रष्टृ (कृदन्त) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Janamejaya
• Bhīṣma
• Maharṣis (great seers)
• Vīraśayana (bed of arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even at the edge of death, Bhīṣma embodies steadiness and fidelity to dharma; the arrival of great seers signals that moral authority and disciplined life-command reverence beyond the battlefield.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma lies on the warrior’s bed of arrows, waiting for the appointed time to depart; at that moment many maharṣis come to see him, setting the stage for the ensuing instruction and questioning.