Shloka 16

Dama-pradhāna-dharma (Self-restraint as the Root of Dharma) — Śānti-parva 154

Devanagari script

विनिश्चित्याथ च तदा विक्रोशन्तस्ततस्ततः । मृतमित्येव गच्छन्तो निराशास्तस्य दर्शने

Transliteration

viniścityātha ca tadā vikrośantastatastataḥ | mṛtamityeva gacchanto nirāśāstasya darśane ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“随后他们下定了决断，四下里一再哀号哭喊。认定‘他确已死去’，便动身离开；再见到他的希望已然熄灭。”

Word by Word

• विनिश्चित्य: having ascertained/decided
• विनिश्चित्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-नि-√चि
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• अथ: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• तदा: at that time
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• विक्रोशन्तः: crying out/lamenting
• विक्रोशन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√क्रुश्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ततः: from there/then
• ततः: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• ततः: from there/then
• ततः: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• मृतम्: dead
• मृतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

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

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

• गच्छन्तः: going
• गच्छन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• निराशाः: hopeless/despairing
• निराशाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निराश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• दर्शने: in (his) sight/at (the possibility of) seeing
• दर्शने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• a child (bālaka, implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how grief and incomplete knowledge can harden into certainty (“he must be dead”), leading to despair and withdrawal—an ethical reminder to be cautious in judgment and steady in adversity.

What is happening in the narrative?

A group searches and laments loudly in many directions; failing to find the boy, they conclude he has died and, losing hope of seeing him, prepare to depart.