Shloka 17

Devanagari script

“महर्षश!ी आपकी आज्ञा पाकर मैं उत्तर दिशामें गन्ध-मादनपर्वतकी ओर चल दिया। उससे भी उत्तर जानेपर मुझे एक महती देवीका दर्शन हुआ। उसने मेरी परीक्षा ली और आपका भी परिचय दिया। प्रभो! फिर उसने अपनी बात सुनायी और उसकी आज्ञा लेकर मैं अपने घर आ गया” ।। तमुवाच तदा वित्र: सुतां प्रतिगृहाण मे । नक्षत्रविधियोगेन पात्र हि परमं भवान्‌,तब ब्राह्मण वदान्यने कहा--“आप उत्तम नक्षत्रमें विधिपूर्वक मेरी पुत्रीका पाणिग्रहण कीजिये; क्योंकि आप अत्यन्त सुयोग्य पात्र हैं!

Transliteration

mahārṣaśrī! ājñāṃ prāpya ahaṃ uttaradiśi gandhamādana-parvataṃ prati calitaḥ. tataḥ api uttaraṃ gatvā mayā ekā mahatī devī dṛṣṭā. sā mama parīkṣāṃ cakāra, bhavataḥ api paricayaṃ prāha. prabho! paścāt sā svavākyaṃ śrāvayitvā, tasyāḥ ājñāṃ gṛhītvā ahaṃ svagṛhaṃ punar āgataḥ. tam uvāca tadā vipraḥ—sutāṃ pratigṛhāṇa me; nakṣatra-vidhi-yogena pāṇigrahaṇaṃ kuru; pātraṃ hi paramaṃ bhavān.

Translation

“Venerable sage! Having received your command, I set out northward toward Mount Gandhamādana. Going still farther north, I beheld a great goddess. She tested me and also revealed your identity. Then, O lord, she spoke her message; and, taking her permission, I returned to my home.” Thereupon the Brahmin said: “Accept my daughter in marriage, performing the rite in accordance with the proper astrological observance at an auspicious constellation; for you are indeed the most worthy recipient.”

Word by Word

तम्him

उवाचsaid

तदाthen

विप्रःthe brahmin

सुताम्daughter

प्रतिगृहाणaccept (in marriage)

मेof me / my

नक्षत्रby/with (an auspicious) constellation

विधिby proper rite

योगेनby conjunction/arrangement

पात्रःa worthy recipient/bridegroom

हिindeed/for

परमम्supremely / exceedingly

भवान्you (honorific)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Mahārṣi (unnamed sage addressed)

Vipra (Brahmin, unnamed)

Devī (unnamed goddess)

Brahmin's daughter (unnamed)

Gandhamādana Parvata

Uttara-diś (north)

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 passage emphasizes dharma through disciplined obedience to a teacher’s command, the ethical testing of a person’s fitness, and the importance of performing life-rites—especially marriage—according to prescribed ritual and auspicious timing (nakṣatra-vidhi), with worthiness (pātratā) as a key moral criterion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma reports to a sage that he traveled north to Mount Gandhamādana, met a powerful goddess who tested him and identified the sage, then returned home with her permission. After this report, a Brahmin addresses him and proposes that he accept the Brahmin’s daughter in marriage, to be performed properly under an auspicious constellation, declaring Bhishma an exceptionally worthy match.