Shloka 16
Adhyāya 57: Tapas–Dāna Phala
On the Fruits of Austerity and Giving
Devanagari script
त॑ दृष्टवात्यद्भुतं राजा मनसाचिन्तयत् तदा । स्वप्लोडयं चित्तविभ्रंश उताहो सत्यमेव तु
Transliteration
taṁ dṛṣṭvā atyadbhutaṁ rājā manasā cintayat tadā | svapno ’yaṁ cittavibhrāṁśa utāho satyam eva tu ||
Translation
见到那极其奇异的景象，国王便在心中思量：“啊！这是梦吗？还是我的心神陷入迷乱——抑或这一切都是真实的？”
Word by Word
तत्that (thing)
तत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
दृष्ट्वाhaving seen
दृष्ट्वा:
TypeVerb
Rootदृश्
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)
अद्भुतम्wonderful, marvelous
अद्भुतम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootअद्भुत
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
राजाthe king
राजा:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
मनसाwith the mind
मनसा:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootमनस्
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
अचिन्तयत्thought, reflected
अचिन्तयत्:
TypeVerb
Rootचिन्त्
FormImperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
तदाthen
तदा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतदा
स्वप्नःa dream
स्वप्नः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootस्वप्न
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
अयम्this
अयम्:
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
चित्त-विभ्रंशःconfusion/delusion of the mind
चित्त-विभ्रंशः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootचित्तविभ्रंश
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
उतor (also: and/or)
उत:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootउत
अहोah!, indeed!
अहो:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअहो
सत्यम्truth, reality
सत्यम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसत्य
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
एवindeed, certainly
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
तुbut/indeed (emphatic particle)
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
Bhishma (speaker)T
the king (rājā)T
the wondrous sight (atyadbhuta-dṛśya)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights epistemic humility: when confronted with the extraordinary, one should examine whether one’s perception is reliable—distinguishing dream, mental confusion, and objective reality—before forming judgments or acting.
Bhishma narrates that a king witnesses an astonishing phenomenon and, struck with amazement, internally debates whether it is a dream, a disturbance of mind, or an actual event.