Shloka 25

Devanagari script

पुरा देवयुगे तात देवेन्द्रेषु महात्मसु

Transliteration

purā devayuge tāta devendreṣu mahātmasu

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “In ancient times, dear one, in the divine age—when the great-souled gods and Indra-like lords were present…”

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly, in ancient times
• पुरा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा
• Form: Avyaya (temporal adverb)

• देवयुगे: in the age of the gods
• देवयुगे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवयुग
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• तात: O dear one / O son
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• देवेन्द्रेषु: among the lords of the gods (Indras)
• देवेन्द्रेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• महात्मसु: among the great-souled (ones)
• महात्मसु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Indra (Devendra)
• Devas (gods)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse functions as a traditional frame for instruction: Bhīṣma introduces an ancient divine-era precedent, implying that dharma is best understood through time-tested exemplars set by great beings.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma begins a recollection (“formerly, in the age of the gods…”) addressed affectionately to his listener, setting up a story about exalted deities/Indra-like rulers as the background for the moral teaching that follows.