Shloka 49

Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā

Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative

Devanagari script

अभ्युत्थानाभिवादाभ्यां सम्प्रदानेन केनचित्‌ । प्रतिपुष्पफलाघाती तीक्ष्णतुण्ड इव द्विज:

Transliteration

abhyutthānābhivādābhyāṃ sampradānena kenacit | pratipuṣpaphalāghātī tīkṣṇatuṇḍa iva dvijaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：“当敌人到来时，应起身迎接，致以恭敬礼拜，并献上别致的礼物；以此先将其纳入自己的影响之下。随后，如利喙之鸟啄击树上每一朵花、每一枚果一般，应系统地攻其资财与所图——既毁其手段，亦挫其目的。”

Word by Word

• अभ्युत्थान: by rising up (to receive)
• अभ्युत्थान: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभ्युत्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अभिवाद: by salutation/greeting
• अभिवाद: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• आभ्याम्: by both (of these two)
• आभ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इदम्/तद्-प्रत्यय (द्विवचन-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Instrumental/Dative dual ending used with the two preceding nouns

• सम्प्रदानेन: by giving/presenting (a gift)
• सम्प्रदानेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• केनचित्: by something (some gift) / by some means
• केनचित्: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular, with enclitic -चित् = 'some/any'

• प्रतिपुष्पफलाघाती: striking at each flower and fruit
• प्रतिपुष्पफलाघाती: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिपुष्पफलाघातिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तीक्ष्णतुण्डः: one having a sharp beak
• तीक्ष्णतुण्डः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीक्ष्णतुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव
• Form: comparative particle

• द्विजः: a bird (lit. twice-born)
• द्विजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• enemy (śatru, implied)
• bird (dvija)
• tree (implied by flowers and fruits)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches a rāja-nīti tactic: first disarm an adversary through courtesy, respect, and gifts to gain leverage; then weaken him by targeting both his ‘means’ (resources, supports) and ‘ends’ (goals, outcomes) in a thorough, step-by-step manner.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and policy, Bhishma is advising the listener on how a ruler should deal with hostile parties—beginning with diplomatic gestures and then proceeding, when necessary, to calculated measures that undermine the opponent’s capacity and objectives.