Shloka 47

Umā–Maheśvara-saṃvāda: Varṇa-bhraṃśa, Ācāra (Vṛtta), and Karmic Ascent/Decline

Devanagari script

ब्रह्माजी बोले--महान्‌ भाग्यशाली सप्तर्षियो! तुम लोगोंने परम शुभकारक, गूढ़ अर्थसे युक्त, सूक्ष्म एवं मनुष्योंके लिये कल्याणकारी प्रश्न सामने रखा है ।।

Transliteration

Brahmājī uvāca—mahān bhāgyāśālinaḥ saptarṣayaḥ! yūyaṁ paramāśubhakārakaṁ gūḍhārthayuktaṁ sūkṣmaṁ ca manuṣyāṇāṁ hitakaraṁ praśnaṁ puraskṛtavantaḥ. śrūyatāṁ sarvam ākhyāsyāmi vaḥ akhilena, tapodhanāḥ, yathā yajñaphalaṁ martyo labhate, nātra saṁśayaḥ.

Translation

Brahmā said: “O fortunate Seven Sages! You have set before me a question that is supremely auspicious, profound in meaning, subtle, and beneficial to humankind. Listen: I shall declare everything to you in full, O rich in austerity—how a mortal attains the fruit of sacrifice; of this there is no doubt.”

Word by Word

• श्रूयताम्: let it be heard (by you two / let both of you listen)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थे), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम, द्विवचन

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आख्यास्ये: I shall tell / I will explain
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), आत्मनेपद, उत्तम, एकवचन

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: चतुर्थी, एकवचन/बहुवचन (प्रयोगे बहुवचनार्थे)

• अखिलेन: completely / in full
• अखिलेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक/पुं (प्रयोगे नपुंसक-तृतीया), तृतीया, एकवचन

• तपोधनाः: O ascetics rich in austerity (O sages)
• तपोधनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• यथा: how / in what manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• यज्ञफलम्: the fruit/result of sacrifice
• यज्ञफलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञफल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मर्त्यः: a mortal (man)
• मर्त्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• लभते: obtains
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम, एकवचन

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अत्र: here / in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Saptarṣi (Seven Sages)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a dharmic instruction: profound, subtle questions about how humans obtain the fruits of yajña are worthy and auspicious, and Brahmā affirms that he will explain the principle fully and with certainty—emphasizing the reliability of dharma-teaching and the moral-spiritual causality behind sacrificial merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma recounts a discourse in which Brahmā addresses the Seven Sages. He praises their question as beneficial for humanity and announces that he will now describe, without omission, how a mortal gains the results of sacrifice.