Shloka 22

Adhyāya 9: Pratiśruta-Dāna

The Duty to Fulfill Promised Gifts

Devanagari script

स एव हि यदा तुष्टो वचसा प्रतिनन्दति । भवत्यगदसंकाशो विषये तस्य भारत

Transliteration

sa eva hi yadā tuṣṭo vacasā pratinandati | bhavaty agada-saṅkāśo viṣaye tasya bhārata ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“婆罗多啊！正是那位婆罗门，当其所望得遂、礼敬得当而心满意足时，便以言辞称许，赐福于王；于王之国土而言，他便如良医一般——以善意与祝祷护持并修复邦国之安康。”

Word by Word

• सः: he (that one)
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• हि: for/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• यदा: when
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा

• तुष्टः: pleased/satisfied
• तुष्टः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वचसा: by speech/with words
• वचसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रतिनन्दति: praises/congratulates
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-नन्द्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भवति: becomes/is
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अगद-संकाशः: like a physician/healer
• अगद-संकाशः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अगद-संकाश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विषये: in the realm/kingdom
• विषये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तस्य: of him/of that (king)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Bharata (address; i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Brahmin
• King
• Realm/kingdom (viṣaya)
• Blessing/benediction (implied by pratinandati vacasā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s welfare is strengthened when he properly honors worthy Brahmins and receives their sincere, pleased approval and blessing; such goodwill functions like medicine for the kingdom—preventing and curing social and moral disorders.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma, instructing Yudhiṣṭhira, describes the moment when a Brahmin—content with the king’s fulfillment of expectations and proper respect—responds with approving words and blessings; Bhishma likens that Brahmin’s satisfied benediction to a physician’s healing influence upon the king’s realm.