Shloka 15

Phala of Vrata, Niyama, Svādhyāya, Dama, Satya, Brahmacarya, and Service (व्रत-नियम-स्वाध्याय-दम-सत्य-ब्रह्मचर्य-शुश्रूषा-फलप्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

कुर्वन्‌ भवच्छासनमाशु यातो हाहं विशालां रुचिरप्रभावाम्‌ | वैवस्वतीं प्राप्प सभामपश्यं सहस्रशो योजनहेमभासम्‌

Transliteration

kurvan bhavacchāsanam āśu yāto hāhaṃ viśālāṃ rucira-prabhāvām | vaivasvatīṃ prāpya sabhām apaśyaṃ sahasraśo yojana-hema-bhāsam ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: „Deinem Befehl gehorchend brach ich sogleich auf. Als ich die weite Stadt Yamas erreichte—schön an Glanz und Macht—erblickte ich die Versammlungshalle Vaivasvatas (Yamas), die in goldenem Schimmer leuchtete, dessen Strahlen sich über Tausende von Yojanas ausbreiteten.“

Word by Word

• कुर्वन्: doing, performing
• कुर्वन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: present (vartamāna), singular, masculine, nominative

• भवत्-शासनम्: your command
• भवत्-शासनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु

• यातः: gone, departed
• यातः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: past (kta), singular, masculine, nominative

• हा: alas!
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हा

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: nominative, singular

• विशालाम्: vast
• विशालाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• रुचिर-प्रभावाम्: of lovely splendor/power
• रुचिर-प्रभावाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• वैवस्वतीम्: Vaivasvatī (Yama’s city/realm)
• वैवस्वतीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैवस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• प्राप्य: having reached
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: absolutive (ktvā/lyap)

• सभाम्: assembly hall
• सभाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• अपश्यम्: I saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: imperfect (laṅ), 1st, singular

• सहस्रशः: by thousands, in thousands
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस्

• योजन-हेम-भासम्: having radiance like gold for (many) yojanas
• योजन-हेम-भासम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Vaivasvata (Yama)
• Vaivasvatī (Yama’s city/realm)
• Sabhā (assembly hall/court)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds disciplined obedience to rightful instruction (śāsana) and frames moral order as ultimately overseen by Yama (Vaivasvata). The dazzling, far-reaching radiance of the court symbolizes the inescapable visibility of deeds within the ethical cosmos.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker recounts departing immediately to fulfill a command and arriving in Yama’s vast realm. There he sees Yama’s magnificent assembly hall, described as shining like gold with a brilliance extending thousands of yojanas.