Shloka 8

Āpad-dharma and Discernment in Livelihood (आपद्धर्मे विज्ञानबलम्)

Devanagari script

त॑ं धर्मराजो दृष्ट्वैव सत्कृत्यैव द्विजर्षभम्‌ | न्यमन्त्रयत धर्मेण क्रियतां किमिति ब्रुवन्‌

Transliteration

taṁ dharmarājo dṛṣṭvaiva satkṛtyaiva dvijarṣabham | nyamantrayad dharmeṇa kriyatāṁ kim iti bruvan ||

Translation

Seeing that foremost of the twice-born, King Dharma (Yama) at once honored him with due respect. Then, in accordance with dharma, he invited him, saying: “What shall be done? What service may be rendered to you?”

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• धर्मराजः: the king of dharma (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• धर्मराजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मराज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• सत्कृत्य: having honored
• Type: Verb
• Root: सत्कृ
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• द्विजर्षभम्: the best of the twice-born (excellent brāhmaṇa)
• द्विजर्षभम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• न्य्: down/into; (prefix) ni-
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि
• Form: upasarga separated from verb for sandhi resolution

• आमन्त्रयत्: invited/addressed
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्त्र्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, नि + आ

• धर्मेण: with propriety/righteously
• धर्मेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• क्रियताम्: let it be done / please be done
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Imperative (Loṭ), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada, Karmani (passive)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• इति: thus/quoting
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• ब्रुवन्: saying
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• भीष्म (Bhīṣma)
• धर्मराज / युधिष्ठिर (Dharmarāja / Yudhiṣṭhira)
• द्विजर्षभ (an eminent Brahmin; identified in the Hindi as गौतमक)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A righteous king upholds dharma through immediate respect and proper hospitality toward a learned Brahmin, asking what service is needed and welcoming ethical discourse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira, upon seeing an eminent Brahmin (noted as Gautama in the Hindi gloss), honors him and formally invites him, asking what should be done for him and opening the way for discussion on dharma.