Shloka 11

Devanagari script

एतदर्थ महाराज पृष्ट: पार्थेन नारद: । ऋषिमध्ये महाभाग: शृण्वतो: कृष्णभीष्मयो:,महाराज! कुन्तीपुत्र युधिष्ठिरने ऋषियोंके बीचमें महाभाग नारदजीसे यही विषय पूछा था। उस समय श्रीकृष्ण और भीष्म भी इस विषयको सुन रहे थे

Transliteration

etad-artha mahārāja pṛṣṭaḥ pārthena nāradaḥ | ṛṣi-madhye mahā-bhāgaḥ śṛṇvatoḥ kṛṣṇa-bhīṣmayoḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O King, on this very matter the illustrious Nārada was questioned by Pārtha in the midst of the sages, while Kṛṣṇa and Bhīṣma were listening.”

Word by Word

एतत्this (matter)

अर्थम्meaning/purpose/matter

महाराजO great king

पृष्टःwas asked

पार्थेनby Partha (Arjuna)

नारदःNarada

ऋषि-मध्येin the midst of sages

महाभागःthe illustrious one

शृण्वतोःof the two who were listening

कृष्ण-भीष्मयोःof Krishna and Bhishma

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Nārada

Pārtha (Arjuna)

Kṛṣṇa

Bhīṣma

Ṛ

Ṛṣis (sages)

Mahārāja (the king addressed, i.e., Janamejaya)

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 authority and careful transmission of dharmic knowledge: a question is posed to a revered sage (Nārada) in a formal assembly, and the presence of eminent witnesses (Kṛṣṇa and Bhīṣma) underscores the seriousness and ethical weight of the inquiry.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana frames a remembered episode: Arjuna (Pārtha) asks Nārada about the same topic being discussed, in a gathering of sages, while Kṛṣṇa and Bhīṣma listen—signaling that what follows is a respected, multi-witnessed teaching.