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Shloka 39

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

भीष्म उवाच पुत्रस्यैतद्‌ वच: श्रुत्वा तथाकार्षीत्‌ पिता नृप । तथा त्वमपि वर्तस्व सत्यधर्मपरायण:,भीष्मजी कहते हैं--नरेश्वर! पुत्रका यह वचन सुनकर उसके पिताने सब कुछ उसके कथनानुसार किया। उसी प्रकार तुम भी सत्य और धर्ममें तत्पर होकर उसी प्रकार आचरण करो

bhīṣma uvāca putrasyaitad vacaḥ śrutvā tathākārṣīt pitā nṛpa | tathā tvam api vartasva satyadharmaparāyaṇaḥ ||

Bhīṣma sprach: „O König, nachdem der Vater diese Worte seines Sohnes gehört hatte, handelte er genau so, wie es gesagt worden war. Ebenso sollst auch du dich verhalten—standhaft der Wahrheit und dem Dharma zugewandt.“

भीष्मःBhishma
भीष्मः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootभीष्म
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
TypeVerb
Rootवच्
FormPerfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
पुत्रस्यof the son
पुत्रस्य:
TypeNoun
Rootपुत्र
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
एतत्this
एतत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootएतद्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
वचःspeech; words
वचः:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootवचस्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
श्रुत्वाhaving heard
श्रुत्वा:
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु
FormAbsolutive (Gerund), Active
तथाthus; accordingly
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
अकार्षीत्did; carried out
अकार्षीत्:
TypeVerb
Rootकृ
FormAorist, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
पिताthe father
पिता:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपितृ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
नृपO king
नृप:
TypeNoun
Rootनृप
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
तथाin the same way
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
त्वम्you
त्वम्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootत्वद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
अपिalso
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
वर्तस्वconduct yourself; behave
वर्तस्व:
TypeVerb
Rootवृत्
FormImperative, Second, Singular, Atmanepada
सत्यधर्मपरायणःdevoted to truth and dharma
सत्यधर्मपरायणः:
TypeAdjective
Rootसत्यधर्मपरायण
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

भीष्म (Bhīṣma)
नृप (the king, addressee)
पुत्र (son)
पिता (father)

Educational Q&A

One should align one’s conduct with truth (satya) and dharma, taking exemplary precedent seriously: just as a father acted according to a son’s righteous words, a ruler should likewise act in faithful conformity to ethical counsel.

Bhishma addresses the king and cites an illustrative episode: after hearing his son’s statement, a father complied with it. Bhishma then turns the example into direct instruction, urging the king to behave in the same manner—committed to truth and dharma.