Shloka 2

Devanagari script

धारयामास चात्मानं धारणासु यथाक्रमम्‌ | तस्योर्ध्वमगमन्‌ प्राणा: संनिरुद्धा महात्मन:

Transliteration

dhārayāmāsa cātmānaṃ dhāraṇāsu yathākramam | tasyordhvam agaman prāṇāḥ saṃniruddhā mahātmanaḥ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: He (Bhīṣma) steadied his own self, placing it step by step into the successive yogic concentrations (dhāraṇās). Thereafter, the life-breaths of that great-souled one—restrained through yogic discipline—began to rise upward.

Word by Word

• धारयामास: held/maintained
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धारणे)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), परिपूर्ण/भूतार्थे (periphrastic perfect), 3, singular

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

• आत्मानम्: himself/the self
• आत्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• धारणासु: in the (yogic) concentrations/retentions
• धारणासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारणा
• Form: feminine, locative, plural

• यथा: as/according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• क्रमम्: order/sequence
• क्रमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• तस्य: of him/of that
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• ऊर्ध्वम्: upwards
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व

• अगमन्: went/rose
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (गत्यर्थे)
• Form: लुङ् (अङ्गविकल्पः/आगमयुक्तः), aorist (past), 3, plural

• प्राणाः: vital breaths/life-winds
• प्राणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• संनिरुद्धाः: restrained/checked
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सं-नि-रुध् (निरोधने)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), masculine, nominative, plural

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled one
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights yogic self-mastery: through ordered dhāraṇā (focused concentration), one can restrain the prāṇas and face death with awareness and discipline, aligning one’s end with dharma rather than being driven by fear or agitation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, lying on his bed of arrows, enters successive yogic concentrations. As he restrains his life-breaths, they begin to move upward—signaling his deliberate, controlled approach toward leaving the body.