Shloka 8

ब्राह्मणपूजायां व्युष्टिः — Vyuṣṭi (Merit-Outcome) of Honoring Brāhmaṇas: Kṛṣṇa and Durvāsā

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच अहं ते कथयिष्यामि कथामतिमनोहराम्‌ । अस्य विष्णो: पुरा राजन्‌ प्रभावो यो मया श्रुत:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca: ahaṃ te kathayiṣyāmi kathām atimanoharām | asya viṣṇoḥ purā rājan prabhāvo yo mayā śrutaḥ |

Translation

Bhishma said: “O king, I shall recount to you a most captivating tale. I will relate the ancient greatness of this Lord Vishnu—what I have heard of it—so that you may understand the revered power spoken of in former times.”

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Dative, Singular

• कथयिष्यामि: I will narrate
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय्
• Form: Future, First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कथाम्: a story
• कथाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अति-मनोहराम्: very charming
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिमनोहरा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अस्य: of this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• विष्णोः: of Vishnu
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पुरा: formerly, in olden times
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रभावः: might, greatness, power
• प्रभावः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यः: which/that
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• श्रुतः: heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Past Passive Participle (kta), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Vishnu
• King (Yudhishthira, implied addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames dharmic instruction through sacred storytelling: Bhishma emphasizes that the greatness (prabhāva) of Vishnu is known through reliable tradition (‘what I have heard’), inviting the listener to learn ethics and devotion via received accounts rather than mere opinion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma begins a new episode, telling the king that he will narrate an especially engaging ancient account concerning Vishnu’s majesty, setting up a longer theological story that follows in the chapter.