Shloka 42

Umā–Maheśvara-saṃvāda: Varṇa-bhraṃśa, Ācāra (Vṛtta), and Karmic Ascent/Decline

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच अथ सप्त महाभागा ऋषयो लोकविश्रुता: । वसिष्ठप्रमुखा: सर्वे ब्रह्माणं पच्मसम्भवम्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca atha sapta mahābhāgā ṛṣayo lokaviśrutāḥ | vasiṣṭhapramukhāḥ sarve brahmāṇaṃ padmasambhavam ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: Da traten die sieben erhabenen, in allen Welten berühmten Weisen—Vasiṣṭha und die übrigen—an Brahmā heran, den lotusgeborenen Schöpfer, um Führung in Fragen der heiligen Ordnung und rechten Lebensführung zu erbitten.

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Karta
• Type: Numeral/Adjective
• Root: सप्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महाभागाः: highly fortunate/noble
• महाभागाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभाग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• लोकविश्रुताः: renowned in the world
• लोकविश्रुताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोकविश्रुत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वसिष्ठप्रमुखाः: with Vasiṣṭha as the foremost
• वसिष्ठप्रमुखाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वसिष्ठप्रमुख
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective/Pronoun
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ब्रह्माणम्: Brahmā
• ब्रह्माणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पद्मसम्भवम्: born from the lotus
• पद्मसम्भवम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पद्मसम्भव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Saptaṛṣi (the Seven Sages)
• Vasiṣṭha
• Brahmā (Padmasambhava, the lotus-born)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse establishes dharmic authority: when questions of right conduct and cosmic order arise, even the greatest sages turn to the highest source of creation and knowledge (Brahmā). It frames subsequent instruction as grounded in venerable lineage and universally recognized wisdom.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma introduces a scene in which the seven world-renowned sages, led by Vasiṣṭha, go to Brahmā, described as lotus-born. This functions as a narrative setup for counsel or revelation that follows.