Shloka 13

Śreyas-nirdeśa (Discerning the Superior Good): Nārada–Gālava Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

श्वः कार्यमद्य कुर्वीत पूर्वाह्न चापराह्निकम्‌ | न हि प्रतीक्षते मृत्यु: कृतं वास्य न वा कृतम्‌

Transliteration

śvaḥ kāryam adya kurvīta pūrvāhṇaṃ cāparāhṇikam | na hi pratīkṣate mṛtyuḥ kṛtaṃ vāsyā na vā kṛtam ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“明日要做之事，当于今日就做；午后要做之事，当于上午就做。因为死亡不会等待，看你所作是已成还是未成。”

Word by Word

• श्वः: tomorrow
• श्वः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्वस्
• Form: Avyaya (temporal adverb)

• कार्यम्: work to be done, task
• कार्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य
• Form: Avyaya (temporal adverb)

• कुर्वीत: should do
• कुर्वीत: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Optative (vidhiliṅ), parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular

• पूर्वाह्ने: in the forenoon
• पूर्वाह्ने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वाह्न
• Form: Masculine, locative, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: Avyaya (conjunction)

• अपराह्णिकम्: the (work) of the afternoon
• अपराह्णिकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपराह्णिक
• Form: Neuter, accusative, singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न
• Form: Avyaya (negation)

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि
• Form: Avyaya (emphasis/causal particle)

• प्रतीक्षते: waits
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-ईक्ष्
• Form: Present tense (laṭ), ātmanepada, 3rd person, singular

• मृत्युः: death
• मृत्युः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• कृतम्: done, completed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत
• Form: Past passive participle of √कृ; Neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा
• Form: Avyaya (disjunctive particle)

• अस्य: of this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, genitive, singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न
• Form: Avyaya (negation)

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा
• Form: Avyaya (disjunctive particle)

• कृतम्: done, completed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत
• Form: Past passive participle of √कृ; Neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Mṛtyu (Death)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Do not postpone duties: complete what must be done as early as possible, because death can arrive at any moment and does not wait for one’s plans or unfinished work.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira with practical counsel: urgency in fulfilling one’s responsibilities, grounded in the uncertainty of life and the inevitability of death.