Shloka 6

Devanagari script

न्यमन्त्रयत संतुष्टो द्विजश्नैनं वरैस्त्रिभि:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | nyamantrayata santuṣṭo dvijaś cainaṃ varais tribhiḥ | vipravara dattatreyas tasya parama-santuṣṭo bhūtvā trīn varān vṛṇīṣveti tam ājñāpayām āsa | tena varān vṛṇīṣveti prokte rājovāca—“bhagavan, yuddhe tu sahasra-bhujaḥ syām, gṛhe tu me dve eva bāhū bhavataḥ | raṇabhūmau sarve sainikā mama sahasra-bhujatvaṃ paśyantu | kaṭhora-vrata-pālaka gurudeva, ahaṃ sva-parākramena samastāṃ pṛthivīṃ jayeyam | evaṃ dharmeṇa pṛthivīṃ prāpya nirālasyas tasyāḥ pālanaṃ kuryām | dvijaśreṣṭha, etebhyo varatrayād api caturthaṃ varam ahaṃ tvatto yāce | anindya maharṣe, mayi kṛpārthaṃ tam api varam avasyaṃ prayaccha | ahaṃ tava śaraṇāgata-bhaktaḥ | yadi kadācit ahaṃ sanmārgaṃ parityajya asanmārgaṃ samāśraye, tadā satpuruṣā māṃ mārge sthāpayituṃ śikṣāṃ dadeyuḥ””

Translation

Bhishma said: Pleased with him, the brahmin invited him to choose three boons. Dattatreya, foremost among brahmins, being greatly satisfied, gave him leave to ask. When the king was told to choose, he replied: “Lord, in battle let me have a thousand arms, but at home let me have only two. On the battlefield let all soldiers behold my thousand arms. O teacher of austere vows, by my own valor may I conquer the whole earth. Having obtained the earth in accordance with dharma, may I rule it diligently, free from sloth. O best of brahmins, beyond these three boons I ask a fourth as well. O blameless great seer, out of compassion grant that too. I am your devoted refuge-seeker: if ever I abandon the true path and take to false ways, may noble men instruct me and bring me back to the right road.”

Word by Word

• न्यमन्त्रयत्: invited/commanded (to ask)
• न्यमन्त्रयत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + मन्त्र् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• संतुष्टः: satisfied
• संतुष्टः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संतुष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• द्विजः: the Brahmin
• द्विजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वरैः: with boons
• वरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• त्रिभिः: by three
• त्रिभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Dattatreya
• the king (unnamed in the given excerpt)
• brahmins (dvija/vipra)
• soldiers (sainikāḥ)
• earth/kingdom (pṛthivī)
• battlefield (raṇabhūmi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power and victory are sought only under the governance of dharma: the king asks not merely for martial might and sovereignty, but also for diligent, righteous rule and—most importantly—corrective guidance from the wise if he ever strays from the true path.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dattatreya, pleased with the king, allows him to ask for three boons. The king requests extraordinary battle power (a thousand arms visible in war), success in conquering the earth, and the ability to rule it energetically according to dharma; he then adds a fourth request—that noble people should admonish and guide him back if he ever turns away from the right path.