Shloka 4

आत्मदर्शन-उपदेशः (Ātma-darśana Upadeśa) — Mind, Senses, and the All-pervading Self

Devanagari script

पूर्व हि कथित श्रुत्वा भूगुभाषितमुत्तमम्‌ । भरद्वाजस्य विप्रर्षेस्ततो मे बुद्धिरुत्तमा,पहले ब्रह्मर्षि भरद्वाजके प्रति भूगुजीका जो उत्तम उपदेश हुआ था, उसे आपके मुँहसे सुनकर मुझे उत्तम बुद्धि प्राप्त हुई थी

Transliteration

pūrvaṃ hi kathitaṃ śrutvā bhṛgubhāṣitam uttamam | bharadvājasya brahmarṣes tato me buddhir uttamā ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Earlier, having heard from your own lips that excellent instruction spoken by Bhṛgu to the brahmarṣi Bharadvāja, my understanding became refined and elevated.”

Word by Word

पूर्वम्formerly, earlier

हिindeed, for

कथितम्told, narrated

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

भृगु-भाषितम्the utterance/teaching spoken by Bhṛgu

उत्तमम्excellent, best

भरद्वाजस्यof Bharadvāja

विप्रर्षेःof the brahmin-sage

ततःthereupon, from that

मेto me / of me

बुद्धिःunderstanding, intellect

उत्तमाexcellent

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Bhṛgu

Bharadvāja

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the transformative power of śravaṇa (attentive listening) to authoritative dharma-instruction: hearing a seer’s excellent counsel—Bhṛgu’s teaching addressed to Bharadvāja—elevates one’s buddhi (discernment), enabling clearer ethical judgment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira addresses the interlocutor and recalls a prior occasion when he heard, from that speaker, Bhṛgu’s celebrated instruction to the brahmarṣi Bharadvāja; he states that this hearing previously refined his understanding, setting the stage for further inquiry or continuation of the teaching.