Shloka 16

Bhīṣma’s Śara-śayyā Stuti to Vāsudeva and Yogic Preparation for Dehotsarga

Body-Relinquishment

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच आरिराधयिषु: कृष्णं वाचं जिगदिषामि याम्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca ārirādhayiṣuḥ kṛṣṇaṃ vācaṃ jigadiṣāmi yām

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „O Kṛṣṇa, in dem Wunsch, dich zu ehren und dir wohlgefällig zu sein, will ich nun die Worte sprechen, die ich zu verkünden gedenke.“

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• आरिराधयिषुः: desiring to propitiate / wishing to please
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आराधयिषु (from dhatu √राध् with prefix आ-; desiderative stem)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृष्णम्: Krishna
• कृष्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वाचम्: speech / words
• वाचम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• जिगदिषामि: I wish to say / I desire to speak
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गद् (desiderative stem जिगदिष-)
• Form: Present, First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• याम्: which
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Krishna

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse models the ethical posture of instruction: before speaking on dharma, the speaker expresses reverence and an intention to please the worthy listener, implying humility, right motivation, and respectful speech as prerequisites for moral counsel.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instructional setting, Bhishma addresses Krishna and signals that he is about to deliver a considered discourse, framing it as speech offered with devotion and respect toward Krishna.