Shloka 35

Bhīṣma–Śiśupāla-saṃvādaḥ

Bhishma and Shishupala’s exchange in the assembly

Devanagari script

स हंस: सम्प्रमत्तानामप्रमत्त: स्वकर्मणि । ततः प्रक्षीयमाणेषु तेषु तेष्वण्डजो5पर: । अशड्कत महाप्राज्ञ: स कदाचिद्‌ ददर्श ह,वे बेचारे पक्षी असावधान थे और वह अपना काम बनानेके लिये सदा चौकन्ना रहता था। तदनन्तर जब वे अण्डे नष्ट होने लगे, तब एक बुद्धिमान्‌ पक्षीको हंसपर कुछ संदेह हुआ और एक दिन उसने उसकी सारी करतूत देख भी ली

Transliteration

sa haṁsaḥ sampramattānām apramattaḥ svakarmaṇi | tataḥ prakṣīyamāṇeṣu teṣu teṣv aṇḍajo 'paraḥ | aśaṅkata mahāprājñaḥ sa kadācid dadarśa ha ||

Translation

那天鹅见众鸟疏忽，便为自身图谋而时时警觉。及至它们的卵不断减少、渐被毁尽之时，另有一鸟，极具智慧，遂对天鹅起疑；终于有一日，亲眼目睹了它的恶行。

Word by Word

सःhe/that one

हंसःswan

सम्प्रमत्तानाम्of the utterly careless/heedless (ones)

अप्रमत्तःvigilant, not careless

स्वकर्मणिin his own act/work

ततःthen/thereupon

प्रक्षीयमाणेषुwhen (they/the eggs) were being destroyed/wasting away

तेषुamong them/in their case

तेषुamong them (repeated for emphasis)

अण्डजःegg-born bird

अपरःanother (one)

अशङ्कतsuspected/doubted

महाप्राज्ञःvery wise

सःhe

कदाचित्once/sometime

ददर्शsaw

हindeed/for emphasis

Speaker

शिशुपाल उवाच

Characters & Entities

ह

हंस (haṁsa, swan)

अ

अण्डज (aṇḍaja, a bird)

अ

अण्ड (aṇḍa, eggs)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Carelessness invites harm, while wrongdoing often hides behind a mask of diligence; therefore, discernment and watchfulness are necessary to detect deception and protect what is entrusted to a community.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śiśupāla describes a situation where a swan stays conspicuously alert while others are negligent; as eggs begin to be destroyed, a wise bird suspects the swan and eventually catches him in the act.