Shloka 191

Śuka’s Guṇa-Transcendence and Vyāsa’s Consolation (शुकगति-वर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

यथा शाून्‍्ये पुरागारे भिक्षुरेकां निशां वसेत्‌ । तथाहं त्वच्छरीरे5स्मिन्निमां वत्स्यामि शर्वरीम्‌

Transliteration

yathā śūnye purāgāre bhikṣur ekāṃ niśāṃ vaset | tathāhaṃ tvaccharīre 'smin nimāṃ vatsyāmi śarvarīm ||

Translation

毗湿摩曰：“譬如乞士在城中荒宅暂宿一夜；我亦将于今夜寄居于你之身中——仅作暂时栖止之所。”

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• शून्ये: in an empty (place/house)
• शून्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शून्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पुरा: formerly/earlier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• अगारे: in a house
• अगारे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगार
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• भिक्षुः: a mendicant
• भिक्षुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एकाम्: one
• एकाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• निशाम्: night
• निशाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• वसेत्: might dwell/stay
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वस्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तथा: so/in the same way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• त्वत्: of you/your
• त्वत्: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• शरीरे: in (the) body
• शरीरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• वत्स्यामि: I shall dwell/stay
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वस्
• Form: Future (Lṛṭ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शर्वरीम्: night
• शर्वरीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्वरी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• bhikṣu (mendicant)
• purāgāra (city-house)
• śarvarī/niśā (night)
• śarīra (body)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses a renunciant’s brief stay in an empty house as a metaphor for non-attachment: one should regard embodied existence and worldly residence as temporary, without possessiveness, emphasizing detachment and ethical restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma speaks in the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, employing a vivid simile to describe a short, non-possessive ‘staying’—framing the body as a transient lodging rather than a permanent self.