Shloka 13

दानपात्रापात्र-निर्णयः / Determining Worthy Gifts, Recipients, and Permissible Food

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेयमुखात्‌ कृत्स्नं यतिधर्ममवाप्तवान्‌ । रामादस्त्राणि शक्राच्च प्राप्तवान्‌ पुरुषर्षभ:

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeyamukhāt kṛtsnaṃ yatidharmaṃ avāptavān | rāmāt astrāṇi śakrācca prāptavān puruṣarṣabhaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: That bull among men (Bhīṣma) learned in full the entire discipline of the ascetic’s dharma from the mouth of Mārkaṇḍeya; and he also received instruction in weapons from Rāma (Paraśurāma) and from Śakra (Indra).

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेय: of Markandeya
• मार्कण्डेय: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• मुखात्: from (the) mouth
• मुखात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• कृत्स्नम्: entire, whole
• कृत्स्नम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्स्न
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• यति: of an ascetic (yati)
• यति: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• धर्मम्: duty, code of conduct
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अवाप्तवान्: obtained, attained
• अवाप्तवान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अवाप्
• Form: Periphrastic perfect (लिट्-अर्थे क्तवत्), Third, Singular, Masculine

• रामात्: from Rama (Parashurama)
• रामात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• अस्त्राणि: weapons (missiles/arms)
• अस्त्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• शक्रात्: from Shakra (Indra)
• शक्रात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• प्राप्तवान्: received, obtained
• प्राप्तवान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्राप्
• Form: Periphrastic perfect (लिट्-अर्थे क्तवत्), Third, Singular, Masculine

• पुरुषर्षभः: bull among men, best of men
• पुरुषर्षभः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Yatidharma
• Rāma (Paraśurāma)
• Śakra (Indra)
• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True authority in dharma-discourse is grounded in comprehensive ethical discipline (yatidharmānuśāsana) as well as practical competence; Bhīṣma’s guidance is validated by learning from a great ṛṣi (Mārkaṇḍeya) and by mastery of martial knowledge from eminent teachers (Paraśurāma and Indra).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is describing Bhīṣma’s qualifications: he acquired complete knowledge of ascetic conduct from sage Mārkaṇḍeya and received weapon-instruction from Paraśurāma and Indra, establishing why Bhīṣma is fit to instruct Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma in the Śānti Parva.