Shloka 283

Vṛddha-kanyā-carita and Balarāma’s Kurukṣetra Inquiry (वृद्धकन्या-चरितम् / कुरुक्षेत्रफल-प्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

दधीचास्थीनि देहीति तैर्वधिष्यामहे रिपून्‌ “अतः सुरश्रेष्ठठण! तुमलोग जाकर मुनिवर दधीचसे याचना करो कि आप अपनी हड्डियाँ हमें दे दें। हम उन्हींके द्वारा अपने शत्रुओंका वध करेंगे”

Transliteration

dadhīcāsthīni dehīti tair vadhiṣyāmahe ripūn

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说：“去求圣者达提遮的骨骸吧——‘请将你的骨骸赐予我们。’凭借这些骨骸，我们将诛灭仇敌。”此语唤起为护持诸天、重建宇宙秩序而自我牺牲的伦理：连圣者之身亦可化为终止毁灭之祸的器具。

Word by Word

• दधीच: O (sage) Dadhichi
• दधीच: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधीच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• अस्थीनि: bones
• अस्थीनि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• देहि: give
• देहि: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (Loṭ), 2nd, Singular

• इति: thus (quoting)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• तैः: with those (bones)
• तैः: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• वधिष्यामहे: we shall slay
• वधिष्यामहे: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: वध् (धातु)
• Form: Future (Luṭ), 1st, Plural, Ātmanepada

• रिपून्: enemies
• रिपून्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dadhīca (sage)
• asthīni (bones)
• ripūn (enemies)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights tyāga (self-giving) in service of dharma: when a grave threat endangers the moral and cosmic order, extraordinary resources—even the bodily remains of a saint—may be offered or requested for the greater good, emphasizing responsibility, protection, and the primacy of dharma over personal attachment.

What is happening in the narrative?

A plan is stated to approach the sage Dadhīca and request his bones, which are to be used as a powerful means to destroy enemies. The statement is framed as reported speech by Vaiśampāyana, indicating counsel or instruction within the larger war-time narrative.