Shloka 6

Ajagara-vrata (The ‘Python’ Discipline): Prahrāda Questions a Wandering Sage

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच ततो राजा विममृशे कथं कार्यमिदं भवेत्‌ । कथं वा सुकृतं मे स्यथादिति बुद्धयान्वचिन्तयत्‌,भीष्मजी कहते हैं--युधिष्ठि! यह सुनकर राक्षसराज मन-ही-मन विचार करने लगे कि अब किस तरह काम करना चाहिये? कैसे मुझे पुण्य प्राप्त हो सकता है? इस प्रकार उन्होंने बारंबार बुद्धि लगाकर सोचा और विचारा

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | tato rājā vimamṛśe kathaṃ kāryam idaṃ bhavet | kathaṃ vā sukṛtaṃ me syāt iti buddhyā anvacintayat |

Translation

Bhishma said: Then the king reflected to himself, “How should this task now be carried out? And how may merit accrue to me?” Thus, applying his mind again and again, he pondered and deliberated—seeking a course of action aligned with righteous gain rather than mere success.

Word by Word

• {'tataḥ': 'then, thereafter', 'rājā': 'king, ruler', 'vimamṛśe (vi + √mṛś)': 'reflected, deliberated, considered carefully', 'katham': 'how?', 'kāryam': 'what is to be done

• a task, duty, necessary action', 'idam': 'this', 'bhavet': 'may be

• would become (optative sense)', 'vā': 'or

• and also', 'sukṛtam': 'merit, virtuous deed

• religious/ethical credit', 'me': 'for me

• my', 'syāt': 'may be

• might arise (optative)', 'iti': 'thus

• ‘…’ (quotative particle)', 'buddhyā': 'with intellect

• by understanding, discernment', 'anvacintayat (anu + √cint)': 'thought over repeatedly

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (speaker)
• Yudhishthira (addressee, implied by context in the given Hindi gloss)
• Raja (the king, unnamed in this verse)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Before acting, one should deliberate with discernment not only about effectiveness (‘how will this be done?’) but also about ethical consequence (‘how will merit arise for me?’). The verse highlights reflective decision-making as a dharmic discipline.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing something significant, the king turns inward and repeatedly weighs his options—seeking a practical plan of action while also aiming to secure sukṛta (moral/religious merit). Bhishma narrates this reflective pause as part of his instruction to Yudhishthira.