Shloka 36

Devanagari script

दृढेयुश्न ऋतेयुश्व परिव्याधश्व कीर्तिमान्‌ | एकत्र द्वितश्वैव त्रितश्षादित्यसांनिभा:

Transliteration

dṛḍheyur ṛteyuś ca parivyādhaś ca kīrtimān | ekatra dvitāś caiva tritāś cādityasaṃnibhāḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma said: Dṛḍheyu, Ṛteyu, and the renowned Parivyādha—together with Ekatrā, Dvitā, and Tritā, radiant like the sun—these are the seven ṛtvij, the officiating priests of Varuṇa, dwelling toward the western quarter.

Word by Word

• दृढेयुः: Dṛḍheyu (a sage’s name)
• दृढेयुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृढेयु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ऋतेयुः: Ṛteyu (a sage’s name)
• ऋतेयुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतेयु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• परिव्याधः: Parivyādha (a sage’s name)
• परिव्याधः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिव्याध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• कीर्तिमान्: famous, renowned
• कीर्तिमान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीर्तिमत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एकत्र: in one place; together
• एकत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकत्र

• द्वितः: in two ways/places; secondly
• द्वितः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्वितः

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

• एव: indeed; just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• त्रितः: in three ways/places; thirdly
• त्रितः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रितः

• आदित्य-सन्निभाः: resembling the Sun
• आदित्य-सन्निभाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदित्यसन्निभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Varuṇa
• Dṛḍheyu
• Ṛteyu
• Parivyādha
• Ekatrā
• Dvitā
• Tritā
• Āditya (Sun)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the sanctity and authority of Vedic ritual lineages: named ṛtviks of Varuṇa are portrayed as sun-radiant, implying purity, discipline, and alignment with ṛta (cosmic order). Ethical force is conveyed indirectly—dharma is upheld through properly ordered sacred offices and qualified officiants.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is listing and identifying a set of seven priests associated with Varuṇa, describing their fame and brilliance and noting their residence in the western quarter. The passage functions as a catalog within Bhīṣma’s instruction, grounding his discourse in traditional sacred personages.