Shloka 142

Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment

Parāśara’s Instruction

Devanagari script

सदा चारक्षप्रियो धूर्तो गणाध्यक्षो गणाधिप: । रक्तमाल्याम्बरधरो गिरिशो गिरिकप्रिय:

Transliteration

sadā cārākṣapriyo dhūrto gaṇādhyakṣo gaṇādhipaḥ | raktamālyāmbaradharo giriśo girikpriyaḥ ||

Translation

ভীষ্ম বললেন— আপনি সদা পাশা-খেলার (অক্ষ) প্রিয়, ধূর্ত, গণাধ্যক্ষ ও গণাধিপ নামে প্রসিদ্ধ। আপনি রক্তবস্ত্র ও লাল পুষ্পমালা ধারণ করেন; আপনি গিরীশ—পর্বতের অধীশ্বর, এবং পর্বত আপনার প্রিয়।

Word by Word

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा
• Form: true

• चाराक्षप्रियः: fond of dice (lit. fond of the four-eyed/dice)
• चाराक्षप्रियः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चाराक्षप्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धूर्तः: cunning, crafty
• धूर्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धूर्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गणाध्यक्षः: leader/president of the gaṇas
• गणाध्यक्षः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणाध्यक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गणाधिपः: lord of the gaṇas
• गणाधिपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणाधिप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रक्तमाल्या-अम्बरधरः: wearing a red garland and garment
• रक्तमाल्या-अम्बरधरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्तमाल्याम्बरधर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गिरिशः: Lord of the mountain (Śiva)
• गिरिशः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गिरिकप्रियः: fond of mountains
• गिरिकप्रियः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गिरिकप्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Shiva (Giriśa)
• Gaṇas (Śiva’s attendants)
• Dice (akṣa)
• Red garland (raktamālya)
• Red garments (rakta-ambara)
• Mountains (giri)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse functions as a devotional identification of Śiva through characteristic epithets and iconographic markers—lordship over the gaṇas, mountain-dwelling, and distinctive attire—emphasizing recognition of the divine through names, attributes, and symbols.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is describing and praising Śiva by listing well-known titles and traits (gaṇādhyakṣa, gaṇādhipa, giriśa, etc.), presenting a compact stuti-style portrait of the deity within the Śānti Parva discourse.