Shloka 35

Devanagari script

मित्रावरुणयो: पुत्रस्तथागस्त्य: प्रतापवान्‌ | धर्मराजर्त्विज: सप्त दक्षिणां दिशमाश्रिता:

Transliteration

mitrāvaruṇayoḥ putras tathāgastyaḥ pratāpavān | dharmarājartvijaḥ sapta dakṣiṇāṃ diśam āśritāḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: Agastya, der mächtige Weise, Sohn von Mitra und Varuṇa, gehört zu den sieben ṛtvij, den Opferpriestern Dharmarājas (Yamas). Diese sieben ṛtvij verweilen in der Richtung des Südens.

Word by Word

• मित्रावरुणयोः: of Mitra and Varuṇa
• मित्रावरुणयोः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्रावरुण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Dual

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: and/also; thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अगस्त्यः: Agastya
• अगस्त्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्त्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रतापवान्: mighty; valorous
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतापवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मराज: of Dharmarāja (Yama)
• धर्मराज: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मराज
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• ऋत्विजः: priests (ṛtviks)
• ऋत्विजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत्विज्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• दक्षिणाम्: southern
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• दिशम्: direction
• दिशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• आश्रिताः: having resorted to; dwelling in
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-श्रि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Agastya
• Mitra
• Varuṇa
• Dharmarāja (Yama)
• Dakṣiṇā diś (the southern direction)
• Sapta ṛtvijaḥ (seven officiating priests)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links cosmic order and moral governance (Dharma) with ritual authority: Dharmarāja (Yama), the embodiment of justice, is served by eminent sages as ṛtviks. It underscores that righteousness is upheld through disciplined, sanctified order, symbolized by priestly service and the southern quarter associated with Yama.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is enumerating or identifying sacred figures connected with Dharmarāja (Yama). Here he states that the powerful sage Agastya—born of Mitra and Varuṇa—is one of seven ṛtviks of Dharmarāja, and that these seven reside in the southern direction.