Shloka 15
Nāmānirukta of Nārāyaṇa (Keśava–Viṣṇu–Vāsudeva) and the Rudra–Nārāyaṇa Unity Theme
ऋषय जश्न हि देवाश्ष गन्धर्वाश्ष महौजस: । वियुक्ता ब्रह्मघोषेण न भ्राजन्ते यथा पुरा,'यहाँके ऋषि, देवता और महाबली गन्धर्व भी ब्रह्मघोषसे विमुक्त हो अब पहलेकी भाँति शोभा नहीं पा रहे हैं!
ṛṣayaś ca hi devāś ca gandharvāś ca mahaujasaḥ | viyuktā brahmaghoṣeṇa na bhrājante yathā purā ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „Wahrlich, die Rishis, die Götter und die mächtigen Gandharvas—nun vom heiligen Widerhall vedischer Rezitation getrennt—glänzen nicht mehr wie einst. Fehlt der tragende Klang des Brahman (der vedische Gesang), so verlieren selbst erhabene Wesen ihren früheren Glanz.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that sacred order and spiritual vitality are sustained by brahmaghoṣa—Vedic recitation and the presence of Brahmanic discipline. When that sustaining practice is absent, even lofty beings lose radiance, implying that dharma depends on continual cultivation, not mere status.
Bhishma is describing a condition of decline: sages, gods, and Gandharvas are portrayed as diminished because they are ‘separated’ from brahmaghoṣa. The statement functions as a lament and a warning about the consequences of neglecting Vedic rites and sacred learning.