Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अपना छा | अप्-४#-रात जा - कुछ लोग 'घट्सहस्रशतह्ृदम्‌” का अर्थ यों करते हैं--वहाँ छः लाख तालाब शोभा पा रहे थे; परंतु 'शतह्ृददा” शब्द बिजलीका वाचक है; अतः उपर्युक्त अर्थ किया गया है। पजञ्चपज्चाशर्दाधिकशततमो< ध्याय: ब्रद्मर्षि अगस्त्य और वसिष्ठके प्रभावका वर्णन भीष्म उवाच इत्युक्त: स नृपस्तूष्णीम भूद्‌ वायुस्ततो<ब्रवीत्‌ । शृणु राजन्नगस्त्यस्य माहात्म्यं ब्राह्मणस्य ह,भीष्मजी कहते हैं--युधिष्ठिर! वायु देवताके ऐसा कहनेपर भी राजा कार्तवीर्य अर्जुन चुपचाप ही बैठे रह गया, कुछ बोल न सका। तब वायुदेव पुनः उससे बोले--“राजन्‌! अब ब्राह्मगजातीय अगसत्यका माहात्म्य सुनो--

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | ity uktaḥ sa nṛpas tūṣṇīm abhūd vāyus tato 'bravīt | śṛṇu rājann agastyasya māhātmyaṃ brāhmaṇasya ha ||

Translation

Bhishma said: When this had been spoken, the king remained silent, unable to reply. Then Vayu spoke again: “O King, now listen to the greatness of the brahmin Agastya.”

Word by Word

इतिthus

उक्तःhaving been spoken/said

सःhe

नृपःking

तूष्णीम्silently

अभूत्became/was

वायुःVāyu (Wind-god)

ततःthen/from there

अब्रवीत्said/spoke

शृणुlisten

राजन्O king

अगस्त्यस्यof Agastya

माहात्म्यम्greatness, glory

ब्राह्मणस्यof the Brahmin

हindeed/for emphasis

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma (Bhīṣma)

Vayu (Vāyu)

Agastya (Agastya)

King (nṛpa/rājan; contextually Kārtavīrya Arjuna in this chapter’s frame)

Yudhishthira (implied addressee in Bhishma’s narration, per edition context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights receptivity to dharmic instruction: when one is speechless or uncertain, the proper response is to listen attentively to the account of a great sage’s virtues and power, which serves as moral and spiritual guidance.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Vayu has spoken, the king remains silent. Vayu then resumes the discourse and introduces the next topic: the greatness (māhātmya) of the brahmin-sage Agastya.