Shloka 5

आपद्धर्मे कोशबलन्यायः | Treasury, Force, and Crisis-Ethics for the King

Devanagari script

अदूरादाश्रमं कज्चिद्‌ वासार्थमगमं तदा

Transliteration

adūrād āśramaṃ kaścid vāsārtham agamaṃ tadā |

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“随后，离那里不远，我前往一处隐修林，寻求栖身之所。其间我见一位名为‘檀奴’的苦行大圣者走来——身披树皮衣，裹着鹿皮。他身形极高，却瘦削至极。”

Word by Word

• अदूरात्: from nearby / not far away
• अदूरात्: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अदूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (पञ्चमी-अर्थे: 'from not far')

• आश्रमम्: hermitage
• आश्रमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कञ्चित्: some / a certain
• कञ्चित्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (अनिश्चित)

• वासार्थम्: for dwelling / for lodging
• वासार्थम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयुक्तम्: 'for the purpose of')

• अगमम्: I went
• अगमम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (अङ्-आगम), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• āśrama (hermitage)
• ṛṣi Tanu
• cīra (bark-garment)
• mṛgacarma (deer-skin)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets an ethical frame: true spiritual authority is marked by austerity and simplicity. By introducing an emaciated, disciplined sage, the narrative signals that forthcoming counsel is grounded in tapas (self-restraint) rather than worldly power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates that he goes to a nearby hermitage to stay and encounters the ascetic sage Tanu, identifiable by bark-garments and deer-skin and by his tall, extremely lean body—preparing the scene for instruction or dialogue.