Shloka 2

कर्म–ज्ञान–दैव–स्वभावविचारः

Inquiry into Karma, Knowledge, Fate, and Nature

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि पृच्छतो भरतर्षभ । उग्रसेनस्य संवादं नारदे केशवस्य च,भीष्मजीने कहा--भरतश्रेष्ठ! तुम्हारे इस प्रश्नके उत्तरमें मैं श्रीकृष्ण और उमग्रसेनका संवाद सुनाता हूँ, जो नारदजीके विषयमें हुआ था

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | atra te vartayiṣyāmi pṛcchato bharatarṣabha | ugrasenasyā saṃvādaṃ nārade keśavasya ca ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: „Hier will ich dir, o Stier unter den Bharatas, als Antwort auf deine Frage den Dialog zwischen Ugrasena und Keshava über Nārada berichten.“

Word by Word

भीष्मःBhishma

उवाचsaid

अत्रhere; in this matter

तेto you

वर्तयिष्यामिI shall narrate / relate

पृच्छतःof (you) who are asking

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas (best of Bharatas)

उग्रसेनस्यof Ugrasena

संवादम्conversation; dialogue

नारदेabout/with regard to Narada

केशवस्यof Keshava (Krishna)

चand

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma (Bhīṣma)

Bharatarshabha (Bharatarṣabha—address to Yudhiṣṭhira)

Ugrasena (Ugrasena)

Narada (Nārada)

Keshava / Krishna (Keśava)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets up a didactic method central to the Shanti Parva: ethical and political insight (dharma and governance) is conveyed through authoritative dialogues. Bhishma signals that the forthcoming exchange—between a king (Ugrasena) and Krishna (Keshava), with Narada as the topic—will serve as guidance prompted by the listener’s inquiry.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma, responding to the question of the Bharata prince (addressed as Bharatarshabha, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira), introduces a new embedded story: he will recount a conversation between Ugrasena and Krishna that arose in connection with Narada.