Shloka 2

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच किमेकं दैवतं लोके कि वाप्येक॑ परायणम्‌ | स्तुवन्त: क॑ कमर्चन्तः प्राप्तुयु्मानवा: शुभम्‌

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: kim ekaṃ daivataṃ loke kiṃ vāpy ekaṃ parāyaṇam | stuvantaḥ kaṃ kam arcantaḥ prāpnuyur mānavāḥ śubham ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira dijo: «Abuelo, ¿quién es la única realidad divina en este mundo, y cuál es el único refugio supremo? Al alabar a quién y al rendir culto a quién—mediante diversos ritos externos y reverencia interior—pueden los seres humanos alcanzar el bien auspicioso?»

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• किम्: what?
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• एकम्: one (single)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• दैवतम्: deity, divine being
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• किम्: what?
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• अपि: also, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• एकम्: one (single)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• परायणम्: supreme refuge, ultimate resort
• Type: Noun
• Root: परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• स्तुवन्तः: praising
• स्तुवन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: Present active, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कः: whom?
• कः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कम्: whom?
• कम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अर्चन्तः: worshipping
• अर्चन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: Present active, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्राप्नुयुः: would attain
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: Optative, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• मानवाः: people, humans
• मानवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शुभम्: good, welfare, auspiciousness
• शुभम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhīṣma (implied by address ‘Grandfather’)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a dharmic inquiry into spiritual unity: it asks for the single highest divinity and the one supreme refuge, implying that true welfare comes from focused devotion expressed both as praise (stuti) and worship (arcana), outwardly and inwardly.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira, seeking guidance after the war, addresses his grandsire Bhīṣma and asks which deity is ultimately supreme and by whose praise and worship people attain auspicious good—setting up Bhīṣma’s ensuing instruction.