Anushasana Parva Adhyaya 114 Shloka 1 - Mahabharata | German | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 1

अहिंसा-आत्मौपम्य-उपदेशः | Instruction on Ahiṃsā and Self-Comparison Ethics

Devanagari script

अकाल दशाधिकशततमो< ध्याय: रूप-सौन्दर्य और लोकप्रियताकी प्राप्तिके लिये मार्गशीर्षमासमें चन्द्र-व्रत करनेका प्रतिपादन वैशम्पायन उवाच शरतल्पगतं भीष्मं॑ वृद्ध कुरूपितामहम्‌ | उपगम्य महाप्राज्ञ: पर्यमृच्छद्‌ युधिष्ठिर:

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca | śarat-talpa-gataṃ Bhīṣmaṃ vṛddhaṃ kuru-pitāmaham | upagamya mahā-prājñaḥ paryamṛcchad Yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Yudhiṣṭhira, der Hochweise, trat zu Bhīṣma hin—dem betagten Ahnherrn der Kurus, der auf dem Pfeilbett lag—und befragte ihn ehrerbietig.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaishampayana

उवाचsaid

शरतल्पगतम्lying on the bed of arrows

भीष्मम्Bhishma

वृद्धम्aged

कुरूपिताम्disfigurement; ugliness (state)

अहम्I

उपगम्यhaving approached

महाप्राज्ञःthe very wise

पर्यमृच्छत्questioned; asked

युधिष्ठिरःYudhishthira

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhīṣma

Yudhiṣṭhira

Kuru (dynasty)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse establishes the ethical method of learning dharma: a ruler should approach a qualified elder-teacher with humility and ask carefully. Legitimate authority and moral clarity arise from disciplined inquiry, especially after crisis.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the war, Yudhiṣṭhira goes to Bhīṣma, who lies on the bed of arrows, and begins questioning him. This initiates a didactic sequence in which Bhīṣma instructs on dharma, conduct, and governance.