Shloka 11

Pātra-Lakṣaṇa and Niścita-Dharma

Marks of a Worthy Recipient and Stable Criteria of Dharma

Devanagari script

ऋषिणा प्रसादिता चास्मि तव हेतोर्दविजर्षभ | तस्य सम्माननार्थ मे त्वयि वाक्‍्यं प्रभाषितम्‌

Transliteration

ṛṣiṇā prasāditā cāsmi tava hetor dvijarṣabha | tasya sammānanārthaṃ me tvayi vākyaṃ prabhāṣitam ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: „O Bester der Brahmanen, um deinetwillen war der Weise zufrieden und erwies mir Gunst. Darum habe ich, um ihn zu ehren, diese Worte zu dir gesprochen.“

Word by Word

• ऋषिणा: by the sage
• ऋषिणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रसादिता: pleased / propitiated
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रसादय्
• Form: Kta (past passive participle), Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अस्मि: I am
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present (Lat), 1st, Singular

• तव: of you / for you
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• हेतोः: for the sake (of) / because (of)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• द्विजर्षभ: O bull among the twice-born (best Brahmin)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-ऋषभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तस्य: of him / of that (sage)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• सम्माननार्थम्: for the purpose of honoring
• सम्माननार्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्मानन-अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मे: my / of me
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• त्वयि: in/with regard to you
• त्वयि: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Locative, Singular

• वाक्यम्: speech / statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रभाषितम्: spoken / uttered
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-भाष्
• Form: Kta (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: O best among the twice-born
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• a rishi (sage)
• Dvijarshabha (addressed Brahmin interlocutor)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes gratitude and proper honoring of spiritual authority: Bhishma frames his counsel as offered not for self-display but to respect the sage whose favor was gained, showing that ethical speech should be rooted in reverence and right intention.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma addresses a Brahmin interlocutor, explaining that a sage had been pleased on the Brahmin’s account; consequently, Bhishma has spoken his words to the Brahmin specifically as an act of honoring that sage.