Shloka 8

Devanagari script

यदा त्वमपि विदप्रर्षे त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम्‌ । जातकौतूहलो नित्यं सिद्धश्चरसि साक्षिवत्‌,“ब्रह्मर्ष। आप सिद्ध पुरुष हैं और कौतूहलवश चराचर प्राणियोंसे युक्त तीनों लोकोंमें सदा साक्षीकी भाँति विचरते रहते हैं

Transliteration

yadā tvam api vidaprarṣe trailokyaṃ sacarācaram | jātakautūhalo nityaṃ siddhaś carasi sākṣivat ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „O Brahmarishi, auch du—als vollendeter Weiser—ziehst durch die drei Welten, erfüllt von allem Beweglichen und Unbeweglichen. Stets von Neugier nach der Wahrheit getrieben, wanderst du unablässig wie ein Zeuge umher und schaust ohne Anhaftung.“

Word by Word

यदाwhen

त्वम्you

अपिalso/even

विदप्रर्षेO sage Vidaprarshi (voc.)

त्रैलोक्यम्the three worlds

सचराचरम्together with the moving and the unmoving

जातकौतूहलःhaving arisen curiosity / curious

नित्यम्always

सिद्धःa perfected one / siddha

चरसिyou move/wander

साक्षिवत्like a witness

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

brahmarṣi (unnamed sage addressed)

trailokya (the three worlds)

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 praises the ideal of the siddha who moves through the world with steady, impartial awareness—like a witness—combining active engagement (wandering through the worlds) with inner non-attachment and clear inquiry.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma addresses a brahmarṣi, describing him as a perfected being who roams the three worlds out of a constant desire to know, observing all beings as a detached witness—setting the tone for a reflective, dharma-centered discourse.