Shloka 9

संधेयासंधेय-पुरुषनिर्णयः (Criteria for Allies and Non-Allies) — with the opening of the Gautama narrative

Devanagari script

न दुष्करतं दानान्नातिमातरमाश्रय: । त्रैविद्येभ्य: परं नास्ति संन्यास: परम तप:,दानसे बढ़कर कोई दुष्कर धर्म नहीं है, माताकी सेवासे बड़ा कोई दूसरा आश्रय नहीं है, तीनों वेदोंके विद्वानोंसे श्रेष्ठ कोई विद्वान्‌ नहीं है और संन्यास सबसे बड़ा तप है

Transliteration

na duṣkarataṁ dānān nātimātaram āśrayaḥ | traividyebhyaḥ paraṁ nāsti saṁnyāsaḥ paramaḥ tapaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: Nothing is more difficult than the discipline of giving. No refuge is greater than devoted service to one’s mother. No learning surpasses mastery of the three Vedas. And among austerities, renunciation (saṃnyāsa) is the highest tapas.

Word by Word

नnot

दुष्करतंmore difficult (thing)

दानात्than giving/charity

नnot

अतिमातरम्a greater mother (i.e., one beyond the mother)

आश्रयःrefuge/support

त्रैविद्येभ्यःthan the knowers of the three Vedas

परम्higher/superior (thing/person)

नnot

अस्तिis/exists

संन्यासःrenunciation

परमःsupreme

तपःausterity/penance

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

mātṛ (mother)

trayī (the three Vedas)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes