Shloka 8

उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel

Devanagari script

व्रतिभिर्बहुभि: कीर्ण तापसैरुपसेवितम्‌ । ब्राह्मणैश्व महाभागै: सूर्यज्वलनसंनिभै:

Transliteration

vratibhir bahubhiḥ kīrṇaṃ tāpasair upasevitam | brāhmaṇaiś ca mahābhāgaiḥ sūryajvalanasaṃnibhaiḥ ||

Translation

The hermitage was crowded with many ascetics devoted to vows, and it was constantly frequented by tapasvins. It was also filled with noble, illustrious Brahmins whose radiance resembled the blazing sun and fire—an image of disciplined life and spiritual power gathered in one place.

Word by Word

• व्रतिभिः: by/with vow-observers
• व्रतिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रतिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• बहुभिः: by many
• बहुभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• कीर्णम्: filled, strewn
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीर्ण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तापसैः: by ascetics
• तापसैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• उपसेवितम्: frequented, attended
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपसेवित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• ब्राह्मणैः: by Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• महाभागैः: by very fortunate/noble (ones)
• महाभागैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभाग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सूर्य-ज्वलन-संनिभैः: by those resembling the sun and fire (in brilliance)
• सूर्य-ज्वलन-संनिभैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्यज्वलनसंनिभ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• ascetics (tāpasas/vratins)
• Brahmins
• āśrama (hermitage, implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse upholds the ethical ideal that disciplined vows (vrata) and austerity (tapas) generate inner power (tejas) and social-spiritual authority, embodied by ascetics and exemplary Brahmins who sustain dharma through their conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma describes a hermitage as densely populated and regularly visited by vow-keeping ascetics and eminent Brahmins, portraying the setting as a concentrated center of spiritual practice and luminous virtue.