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Shloka 6

अश्वशिरो-आख्यानम्

Aśvaśiras / Hayaśiras Narrative: Retrieval of the Vedas

ऋते देवप्रसादाद्‌ वा राजन्‌ ज्ञानागमेन वा | गहनं होतदाख्यानं व्याख्यातव्यं तवारिहन्‌

ṛte devaprasādād vā rājan jñānāgamena vā | gahanaṃ hy etad ākhyānaṃ vyākhyātavyaṃ tavārihan ||

قال بيشما: «أيها الملك، من غير نعمة الآلهة—أو من غير هداية الآغامَا، أي الكتب المؤسسة على المعرفة الحقّة—لا يُجاب عن هذا الأمر العميق بمحض التعليل، ولو امتدّ ذلك مئات السنين. يا قاهر الأعداء، ومع أن هذا الموضوع بالغ العسر على الفهم، فإني لا بدّ أن أشرحه لك من أجلك».

ऋतेwithout, except
ऋते:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootऋते
देव-प्रसादात्from divine grace
देव-प्रसादात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootदेवप्रसाद
FormMasculine, Ablative, Singular
वाor
वा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा
राजन्O king
राजन्:
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
ज्ञान-आगमेनby the scripture/tradition of knowledge
ज्ञान-आगमेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootज्ञानागम
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
वाor
वा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा
गहनम्deep, difficult
गहनम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootगहन
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
एतत्this
एतत्:
TypePronoun
Rootएतद्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
आख्यानम्account, exposition
आख्यानम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootआख्यान
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
व्याख्यातव्यम्is to be explained
व्याख्यातव्यम्:
TypeVerb
Rootव्याख्या + तव्य
Formतव्य, Passive (gerundive), Neuter, Nominative, Singular
तवfor you / of you
तव:
Sampradana
TypePronoun
Rootयुष्मद्
FormGenitive, Singular
अरिहन्O slayer of foes
अरिहन्:
TypeNoun
Rootअरिहन्
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
Y
Yudhiṣṭhira
R
rājan (the King, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira)
D
deva (the gods/divinity)

Educational Q&A

Bhīṣma emphasizes that certain deep questions of dharma and truth cannot be settled by logic alone; they require either divine grace or guidance from authoritative knowledge-bearing scripture/tradition.

Yudhiṣṭhira has posed a very subtle question. Bhīṣma acknowledges its difficulty and warns that reasoning by itself is insufficient, yet he commits to explaining the matter for the king’s benefit.