अथाश्रमपदं प्राप्य तं स्म भूयो महात्मनः ॥
शप्ताः स्म इति जानन्त ऋषिं तम् उपचक्रमुः ॥
प्रसादयन्तस् तम् ऋषिं वसवः पार्थिवर्षभ ॥
न लेभिरे च तस्मात् ते प्रसादम् ऋषिसत्तमात् ॥
आपवात् पुरुषव्याघ्र सर्वधर्मविशारदात् ॥
उवाच च स धर्मात्मा सप्त यूयं धरादयः ॥
अनु संवत्सराच् छापमोक्षं वै समवाप्स्यथ ॥
अयं तु यत्कृते यूयं मया शप्ताः स वत्स्यति ॥
द्यौस् तदा मानुषे लोके दीर्घकालं स्वकर्मणा ॥
नानृतं तच् चिकीर्षामि युष्मान् क्रुद्धो यद् अब्रुवम् ॥
न प्रजास्यति चाप्य् एष मानुषेषु महामनाः ॥
भविष्यति च धर्मात्मा सर्वशास्त्रविशारदः ॥
पितुः प्रियहिते युक्तः स्त्रीभोगान् वर्जयिष्यति ॥
एवम् उक्त्वा वसून् सर्वाञ् जगाम भगवान् ऋषिः ॥
athāśramapadaṃ prāpya taṃ sma bhūyo mahātmanaḥ ||
śaptāḥ sma iti jānanta ṛṣiṃ tam upacakramuḥ ||
prasādayantas tam ṛṣiṃ vasavaḥ pārthivarṣabha ||
na lebhire ca tasmāt te prasādam ṛṣisattamāt ||
āpavāt puruṣavyāghra sarvadharmaviśāradāt ||
uvāca ca sa dharmātmā sapta yūyaṃ dharādayaḥ ||
anu saṃvatsarāc chāpamokṣaṃ vai samavāpsyatha ||
ayaṃ tu yatkṛte yūyaṃ mayā śaptāḥ sa vatsyati ||
dyaus tadā mānuṣe loke dīrghakālaṃ svakarmaṇā ||
nānṛtaṃ tac cikīrṣāmi yuṣmān kruddho yad abruvam ||
na prajāsyati cāpy eṣa mānuṣeṣu mahāmanāḥ ||
bhaviṣyati ca dharmātmā sarvaśāstraviśāradaḥ ||
pituḥ priyahite yuktaḥ strībhogān varjayiṣyati ||
evam uktvā vasūn sarvāñ jagāma bhagavān ṛṣiḥ ||
"And so, having come again to the hermitage of that great one, knowing 'we are cursed', they approached that sage. Propitiating that sage, the Vasus, O bull among kings, did not however obtain from that best of sages, Apava, O tiger among men, versed in all dharmas, [full] grace. And that righteous one said: 'You seven — Dhara and the rest — after a year shall obtain release from the curse. But this one [Dyu], for whose sake you have been cursed by me — he, Dyu, shall dwell then in the world of men for a long time on account of his own deed. I do not wish to make false what I said to you in anger; and this great-souled one shall not beget offspring among men. And he shall become righteous, versed in all the scriptures, devoted to the good and pleasure of his father; and he shall renounce the enjoyment of women.' Having thus spoken to all the Vasus, the lord sage departed."
9fc92efaae2b · प्रकाशित 12 जुल॰ 2026, 4:16:46 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Here is the softening of the curse and the prophecy of Bhishma. It is telling that Vasishtha, once his anger has subsided, still cannot wholly undo what has been spoken: "I do not wish to make false what I said." Here is revealed the power of an ascetic's word and the law of truthfulness: a word uttered in truth must come to pass, and so the sage only tempers, but does not revoke, the punishment. From this comes a lesson: speech is sacred, especially the speech of a person of power, and it must be mastered before it is uttered. Also telling is the proportion at work: the seven, who were merely accomplices, are freed after a year, but Dyu, the instigator, bears a long earthly life — karma is exact, and greater guilt draws greater reckoning. And the prophecy about Dyu itself is a wondrous turning of punishment into glory: he shall be righteous, learned in all the scriptures, devoted to his father, one who renounces the pleasures of marriage. Here is the image of a perfect ascetic devotee: celibacy, devotion to duty and to one's father, knowledge of scripture — such is the coming Bhishma. Thus out of a curse for a transgression, providence brings forth the greatest righteous man of the epic; childlessness and renunciation, imposed as punishment, become the crown of holiness.