Shloka 48

Devanagari script

राजेन्द्र! उन्हीं ब्रह्मर्षिकि कृपा-प्रसादसे गाधिकी यशस्विनी पत्नीने ब्रह्मवादी विश्वामित्रको उत्पन्न किया ।। ततो ब्राह्मणतां यातो विश्वामित्रो महातपा: | क्षत्रिय: सोडप्यथ तथा ब्रह्म॒ुवंशस्य कारक:,इसीलिये महातपस्वी विश्वामित्र क्षत्रिय होकर भी ब्राह्मणत्वको प्राप्त हो ब्राह्मणवंशके प्रवर्तक हुए

Transliteration

rājendra! brahmarṣi-kṛpā-prasādāt gādhikī yaśasvinī patnī brahmavādinam viśvāmitram ajījanat. tato brāhmaṇatāṃ yāto viśvāmitro mahātapāḥ | kṣatriyaḥ san api tathā brahmavaṃśasya kārakaḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “O lord of kings, by the gracious favor of the brahmarishis, Gādhi’s illustrious wife gave birth to Vishvamitra, a knower and speaker of Brahman. Thereafter, the great ascetic Vishvamitra—though born a Kshatriya—attained the status of a Brahmin and became a founder of a Brahmin lineage. Thus, this account teaches that spiritual attainment and right conduct can raise one beyond identity fixed by birth.”

Word by Word

• {'rājendra': 'O best of kings (address to the king)', 'brahmarṣi': 'Brahmarishi

• a seer of the highest order', 'kṛpā-prasāda': 'grace and favor

• benevolent blessing', 'gādhikī': 'wife/daughter connected with Gādhi (patronymic/identifier)', 'yaśasvinī': 'illustrious, renowned', 'patnī': 'wife', 'brahmavādin': 'one who speaks/teaches Brahman

• a theologian/knower of sacred truth', 'viśvāmitra': 'Vishvamitra (name of the sage)', 'ajījanat': 'gave birth to

• produced', 'tataḥ': 'then

• thereafter', 'brāhmaṇatā': 'Brahminhood

• Brahmin status/quality', 'yātaḥ': 'attained

• went to', 'mahātapāḥ': 'great in austerity

• great ascetic', 'kṣatriyaḥ': 'Kshatriya (warrior/royal class)', 'san api': 'even though being', 'brahmavaṃśa': 'Brahmin lineage

• Brahmanical line', 'kāraka': 'maker, founder, originator'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Vishvamitra
• Gadhi (Gādhi)
• Brahmarishis
• Kshatriya
• Brahmin lineage (brahmavaṃśa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes that spiritual status (brāhmaṇatā) can be attained through tapas, knowledge, and divine/saintly grace, suggesting that ethical and spiritual achievement may transcend birth-based identity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma tells the king that Gadhi’s illustrious wife, aided by the grace of Brahmarishis, gave birth to Vishvamitra; later Vishvamitra, though a Kshatriya by birth, attained Brahminhood and became an originator of a Brahmin lineage.