Shloka 28

Śreyas-nirdeśa (Discerning the Superior Good): Nārada–Gālava Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

तस्मात्‌ सत्यव्रताचार: सत्यव्रतपरायण:

Transliteration

tasmāt satyavratācāraḥ satyavrataparāyaṇaḥ

Translation

Darum soll man sich nach einem Wahrheitsgelübde richten und unbeirrbar diesem Gelübde ergeben bleiben, sodass Wahrhaftigkeit zur leitenden Regel des Lebens und der Übung wird.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that (reason)
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, ablative, singular

• सत्यव्रताचारः: one whose conduct is (in accordance with) a true vow
• सत्यव्रताचारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्यव्रताचार
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• सत्यव्रतपरायणः: devoted to the true vow
• सत्यव्रतपरायणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्यव्रतपरायण
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma teaches that dharma is strengthened by making truth (satya) a disciplined vow (vrata): one should shape one’s conduct (ācāra) around truthfulness and remain unwaveringly committed to it as a life-principle.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct after the war; here he emphasizes truth-vow as a foundational ethical discipline to be adopted and maintained consistently.