Shloka 18

श्रेयो-धर्मकर्मविचारः

Inquiry into Śreyas, Dharma, and Karma

Devanagari script

यथावत्‌ सम्प्रवर्तन्ते यस्मिंस्तिष्ठन्ति वा विभो । तत्‌ ते<नुपूर्व्या व्याख्यास्थे तदिहैकमना: शृणु,'प्रभो! जिस प्रकार वे कर्ममें प्रवृत्त होते तथा जिस निमित्तसे उसमें स्थित होते हैं और जिस अवस्थामें उससे निवृत्त हो जाते हैं, वह सब मैं तुमसे क्रमश: बताऊँगा। तुम उसे यहाँ एकाग्रचित्त होकर सुनो

Transliteration

yathāvat sampravartante yasmiṁs tiṣṭhanti vā vibho | tat te'nupūrvyā vyākhyāsthe tad ihaikamanāḥ śṛṇu ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “O mighty one, I shall explain to you, in due order, how beings properly set themselves in motion in action, for what reason they remain established in it, and in what condition they withdraw from it. Listen here with a single-pointed mind.”

Word by Word

[{'term''yathāvat', 'definition': 'properly

in the correct manner'}, {'term''sampravartante', 'definition': 'they set forth

they commence activity'}, {'term''yasmin', 'definition': 'in/for which

the cause or ground'}, {'term''tiṣṭhanti', 'definition': 'they stand

stay established'}, {'term''vā', 'definition': 'or

and/or'}, {'term''vibho', 'definition': 'O powerful one

O lord (vocative of vibhu)'}, {'term''tat', 'definition': 'that

those matters'}, {'term''te', 'definition': 'to you

for you'}, {'term''anupūrvyā', 'definition': 'in proper sequence

in order'}, {'term''vyākhyāsthe (vyākhyāsye)', 'definition': 'I shall explain

I will expound'}, {'term''iha', 'definition': 'here

in this context/teaching'}, {'term''ekamanāḥ', 'definition': 'single-minded

with one-pointed attention'}, {'term''śṛṇu', 'definition': 'listen (imperative)'}]

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

vibhu (addressed lord/mighty one)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma frames a systematic ethical inquiry into action: how one rightly enters into karma, what sustains one’s engagement, and under what conditions one should withdraw—emphasizing ordered instruction and attentive listening.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s didactic setting, Bhīṣma continues instructing his listener (addressed as “vibhu”), announcing that he will explain the topic step by step and urging focused attention before proceeding with the detailed exposition.