Shloka 25

Adhyāya 70: Sātyaki’s Arrow-Display and the Bhūriśravas Engagement; Twilight Withdrawal

Devanagari script

सतं युधिष्ठिरो ज्ञात्वा याथातथ्येन भारत । सर्वात्मना महात्मानं केशवं जगदी श्वरम्‌ । प्रपन्न: शरणं राजन्‌ योगानां प्रभुमी श्चरम्‌

Transliteration

sataṁ yudhiṣṭhiro jñātvā yāthātathyena bhārata | sarvātmanā mahātmānaṁ keśavaṁ jagadīśvaram | prapannaḥ śaraṇaṁ rājan yogānāṁ prabhum īśvaram ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “O Bhārata, having understood the truth of the matter exactly as it is, King Yudhiṣṭhira has, with his whole being, taken refuge in Keśava—the great-souled Lord of the world, the sovereign master and ruler of all yogas.”

Word by Word

• सताम्: of the good/virtuous (people)
• सताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ज्ञात्वा: having known/understood
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• याथातथ्येन: with/according to the true state of things; as it really is
• याथातथ्येन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: याथातथ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• भारत: O Bhārata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सर्वात्मना: with his whole self; wholeheartedly
• सर्वात्मना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• महात्मानम्: the great-souled one
• महात्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• केशवम्: Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)
• केशवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जगदीश्वरम्: Lord of the world
• जगदीश्वरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगदीश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रपन्नः: having taken refuge; resorted
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रपन्न (प्र + पद्/पद् → पन्न; प्रपद् in sense 'to resort')
• Form: क्त (past passive participle used predicatively), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• योगानाम्: of yogas; of disciplines/means
• योगानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• प्रभुम्: the lord/master
• प्रभुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ईश्वरम्: the ruler; God
• ईश्वरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)
• Bhārata (Kuru lineage addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True ethical understanding (yāthātathya-jñāna) naturally leads to humility and wholehearted refuge in the highest moral and spiritual authority—here, Keśava as Jagadīśvara and master of all yogic means—rather than reliance on mere personal resolve.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma reports that Yudhiṣṭhira, having grasped the situation correctly, turns with complete sincerity to Kṛṣṇa for protection and guidance, framing the king’s response to crisis as surrender to the divine ruler and source of right action.