Shloka 4

ब्राह्मण–क्षत्रिय-श्रेष्ठता-विवादः

Arjuna–Vāyu Dialogue on Brāhmaṇa and Kṣatriya Precedence

Devanagari script

भवद्धिः समनुज्ञातो रेणुकस्तान्‌ महागजान्‌ । धर्मगुह्मानि सर्वाणि गत्वा पृच्छतु तत्र वै

Transliteration

bhavadbhiḥ samanujñāto reṇukas tān mahāgajān | dharmaguhmāni sarvāṇi gatvā pṛcchatu tatra vai ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Mit eurer Erlaubnis soll Reṇuka zu jenen mächtigen Elefanten gehen und, nachdem er sich ihnen genähert hat, dort nach allen verborgenen Dingen des Dharma fragen.“

Word by Word

भवद्भिःby you (all)

समनुज्ञातःhaving been permitted/authorized

रेणुकःRenuka (name)

तान्those

महागजान्great elephants

धर्मगुह्मानिsecret matters of dharma / dharma-secrets

सर्वाणिall

गत्वाhaving gone

पृच्छतुlet him ask / may he inquire

तत्रthere

वैindeed / surely

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Reṇuka

mahāgajās (mighty elephants)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is subtle and sometimes concealed; therefore one should seek it through respectful inquiry from those regarded as authoritative, and act only with proper permission and guidance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma directs that Reṇuka, once granted permission, should go to the mighty elephants and question them about the concealed aspects of dharma, indicating a deliberate search for deeper ethical clarification.