Shloka 24

Puruṣaikatva-vyākhyāna: The One Virāṭ Puruṣa and the Many ‘Puruṣas’

Rudra–Brahmā Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

एकं त्वनुग्रहं तुभ्यं दह्मो वै नृपसत्तम । यावत्‌ त्वं शापदोषेण कालमासिष्यसेडनघ,“निष्पाप नृपशिरोमणे! हम तुम्हें अपना एक अनुग्रह प्रदान करते हैं। तुम शापदोषके कारण जबतक-जितने समयतक पृथ्वीके विवरमें रहोगे, तबतक एकाग्रचित्त ब्राह्मणोंद्वारा यज्ञोंमें दी हुई वसुधाराकी आहुति तुम्हें प्राप्त होती रहेगी

Transliteration

ekaṁ tv anugrahaṁ tubhyaṁ dadmo vai nṛpasattama | yāvat tvaṁ śāpadoṣeṇa kālam āsiṣyase 'nagha ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “O best of kings, we grant you this single boon: for as long as you must remain (confined) due to the fault of a curse, so long shall the sacrificial offering of ‘vasudhārā’—poured in yajñas by concentrated-minded brāhmaṇas—continue to reach you.”

Word by Word

• {'ekaṁ': 'one, a single', 'anugraham': 'favor, boon, gracious grant', 'tubhyaṁ': 'to you', 'dadmaḥ (dadmo)': 'we give, we grant', 'vai': 'indeed, surely (emphatic particle)', 'nṛpa-sattama': 'best among kings', 'yāvat': 'as long as, until such time as', 'śāpa-doṣeṇa': 'because of the defect/effect of a curse', 'kālam': 'time, duration', 'āsiṣyase': 'you will remain/abide (for a time)', 'anagha': 'sinless, blameless (vocative address)'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• king (nṛpasattama)
• Brahmins (brāhmaṇāḥ)
• śāpa (curse)
• vasudhārā (a continuous oblation/stream of ghee or offering in yajña)
• yajña (sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how ritual merit (especially offerings made with focused intent by qualified Brahmins) can be directed as a sustaining boon, even to someone suffering under a curse—showing the ethical idea that dharmic acts and blessings can mitigate hardship without negating the consequences of wrongdoing or fate.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma addresses a king and grants a specific favor: during the period the king must endure confinement due to a curse, the sacrificial ‘vasudhārā’ oblations offered in yajñas by concentrated Brahmins will continue to reach and support him.