Shloka 125

धर्मस्य बहुद्वारत्वम् — Nārada’s Audience with Indra (Śānti-parva 340)

Devanagari script

इदमाख्यानमार्षेयं पारम्पर्यागतं नृप

Transliteration

idam ākhyānam ārṣeyaṁ pāramparyāgataṁ nṛpa

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “O king, this is a sacred, seer-sanctioned narrative, handed down through an unbroken lineage of tradition.”

Word by Word

इदम्this

आख्यानम्narrative, account

आर्षेयम्of the rishis, rishi-tradition

पारम्पर्यागतम्handed down by tradition (lineage-transmitted)

नृपO king

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

nṛpa (the king, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira)

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 emphasizes the authority of dharmic instruction when it is rooted in ṛṣi-tradition and preserved through an authentic lineage (paramparā), implying that ethical guidance gains weight through reliable transmission.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma introduces the account he is about to narrate to the king (Yudhiṣṭhira), framing it as an ancient, seer-derived story received through tradition, thereby preparing the listener to treat it as a trustworthy source of dharma.