Shloka 34

Devanagari script

अत्र गाथा भूमिगीता: कीर्तयन्ति पुराविद: । या: श्रुत्वा जामदग्न्येन दत्ता भू: काश्यपाय वै,प्राचीन बातोंको जाननेवाले लोग भूमिकी गायी हुई गाथाओंका वर्णन किया करते हैं, जिन्हें सुनकर जमदग्निनन्दन परशुरामने काश्यपजीको सारी पृथ्वी दान कर दी थी

Transliteration

atra gāthā bhūmi-gītāḥ kīrtayanti purāvidaḥ | yāḥ śrutvā jāmadagnyena dattā bhūḥ kāśyapāya vai ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “Here the sages who know the ancient lore recount the ballads known as the ‘Songs of the Earth’. Having heard those verses, Jamadagni’s son Parashurama indeed bestowed the entire earth as a gift to Kashyapa.”

Word by Word

अत्रhere

गाथाःsongs/verses (gāthās)

भूमि-गीताःsung by the Earth

कीर्तयन्तिthey recount/celebrate

पुरा-विदःknowers of ancient lore

याःwhich (those)

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

जामदग्न्येनby Jāmadagnya (Paraśurāma)

दत्ताwas given

भूःthe earth

काश्यपायto Kāśyapa

वैindeed/verily

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Parashurama (Jāmadagnya)

Jamadagni

Kashyapa

Bhumi (the Earth, personified)

Bhumi-gītāḥ (Songs of the Earth)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

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 the ethical ideal that even the greatest possession—sovereignty over the earth—can be relinquished through dāna (gift) when guided by sacred tradition and dharma; true merit lies in restraint, generosity, and honoring righteous counsel.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma introduces an ancient tradition: learned custodians of old lore recite the ‘Songs of the Earth’. Hearing these, Parashurama (son of Jamadagni) is said to have donated the entire earth to the sage Kashyapa, setting up a larger exemplum about dharma and the proper use (and relinquishment) of power and land.