Shloka 3

प्रजापतयः देवगणाश्च दिशि-दिशि स्थिताः ऋषयः

Prajāpatis, Deva-Groups, and the Ṛṣis Assigned to the Directions

Devanagari script

प्रजापति श्रेष्ठतमं प्रजानां देवर्षिसंघप्रवरो महर्षि: । बृहस्पति: प्रश्नमिमं पुराणं पप्रच्छ शिष्यो5थ गुरुं प्रणम्य

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | prajāpatiśreṣṭhatamaṃ prajānāṃ devarṣisaṅghapravaro maharṣiḥ | bṛhaspatiḥ praśnam imaṃ purāṇaṃ papraccha śiṣyo 'tha guruṃ praṇamya ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: Einst, in der erhabenen Versammlung von Göttern und Sehern, verneigte sich der große Weise Bṛhaspati — der Erste unter den göttlichen Rishis — in der Haltung eines Schülers vor Manu, dem Prajāpati, der als bester Hüter der Geschöpfe gilt. Nachdem er seinem Lehrer Ehrerbietung erwiesen hatte, stellte er ihm eine uralte Frage und suchte Führung für die rechte Ordnung des Lebens und das Wohl der Wesen.

Word by Word

• {'prajāpati': 'lord/progenitor of creatures

• a creator and regulator of beings', 'śreṣṭhatama': 'the very best, most excellent', 'prajānām': 'of the subjects/creatures/people', 'devarṣi': 'divine seer (a rishi among the gods)', 'saṅgha': 'assembly, group', 'pravara': 'foremost, pre-eminent', 'maharṣi': 'great sage', 'bṛhaspati': 'Brihaspati, preceptor of the gods

• a revered sage', 'praśna': 'question, inquiry', 'imam': 'this', 'purāṇa': 'ancient, time-honoured

• also ‘of old tradition’', 'papraccha': 'asked, inquired', 'śiṣya': 'disciple, student', 'atha': 'then, thereafter', 'guru': 'teacher, spiritual preceptor', 'praṇamya': 'having bowed, having paid obeisance'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Brihaspati
• Manu
• Prajapati
• Devas
• Rishis (Devarshi-sangha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the ethical method of learning dharma: even the foremost sage approaches knowledge through humility, reverence to the guru, and careful questioning rooted in ancient tradition.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma introduces a traditional episode: Brihaspati, leader among divine seers, bows to his teacher Manu (a Prajapati) and poses an old, authoritative question, setting up a discourse on right conduct and governance.