Shloka 3

नारद-समङ्ग-संवादः — The Nārada–Samaṅga Dialogue on Fearlessness and Equanimity

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्‌ । गीत॑ विदेहराजेन माण्डव्यायानुपृच्छते

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam | gītaṃ videharājena māṇḍavyāyānupṛcchate ||

Translation

Bhishma dijo: «También aquí los sabios citan un precedente antiguo. Cuando el asceta Māṇḍavya le preguntó, el rey de Videha, Janaka, expresó una enseñanza en respuesta; ese relato de antaño se repite como ejemplo en ocasiones como ésta.»

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'atrāpi', 'meaning': 'here also

• in this context as well'}, {'term': 'udāharanti', 'meaning': 'they cite

• they adduce as an example'}, {'term': 'imam', 'meaning': 'this'}, {'term': 'itihāsam', 'meaning': 'traditional account

• ancient narrative/precedent'}, {'term': 'purātanam', 'meaning': 'ancient

• of old'}, {'term': 'gītam', 'meaning': 'spoken/uttered

• a saying or teaching (lit. ‘sung/said’)'}, {'term': 'videharājena', 'meaning': 'by the king of Videha (Janaka)'}, {'term': 'māṇḍavyāya', 'meaning': 'to/for Mandavya (the sage)'}, {'term': 'anupṛcchate', 'meaning': 'when (someone) asks a follow-up question

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (Bhīṣma)
• Mandavya (Māṇḍavya)
• Janaka, king of Videha (Videharāja Janaka)
• Videha

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma frames his instruction by invoking authoritative precedent: ethical and dharmic questions are clarified through remembered exemplars—ancient dialogues whose conclusions are treated as reliable guidance for similar situations.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma tells the listener that an old story will be cited: the sage Mandavya once questioned King Janaka of Videha, and Janaka’s reply became a well-known illustrative teaching repeated by the wise.