Shloka 13

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मघोषैर्विरहित: पर्वतो5यं न शोभते । रजसा तमसा चैव सोम: सोपप्लवो यथा,“वेदध्वनि न होनेके कारण इस पर्वतकी पहले-जैसी शोभा नहीं रही। रज और तमसे आच्छन्न हो यह राहुग्रस्त चन्द्रमाके समान जान पड़ता है। देवर्षियोंसे सेवित होनेपर भी यह शैलशिखर ब्रह्मघोषके बिना भीलोंके घरकी तरह श्रीहीन प्रतीत होता है

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | brahmaghoṣair virahitaḥ parvato ’yaṃ na śobhate | rajasā tamasā caiva somaḥ sopaplavo yathā |

Translation

Dijo Bhīṣma: «Esta montaña ya no resplandece como antes, pues está privada del sonoro recitar del saber sagrado. Cubierta de polvo y tinieblas, parece la luna cuando Rahu la apresó: su fulgor, turbado y eclipsado. Aunque esta cumbre es digna de ser frecuentada por los rishis divinos, sin el canto védico se ve despojada de esplendor, como la morada de los habitantes del bosque, carente de buen augurio».

Word by Word

• {'brahma-ghoṣa': 'the sacred sound/chant of Brahman

• here, Vedic recitation and holy utterance', 'virahitaḥ': 'deprived of

• separated from', 'parvataḥ': 'mountain', 'ayam': 'this', 'na śobhate': 'does not shine

• does not appear beautiful', 'rajasā': 'by dust

• also by the guṇa ‘rajas’ (passion/activity)', 'tamasā': 'by darkness

• also by the guṇa ‘tamas’ (inertia/obscuration)', 'ca eva': 'and indeed', 'somaḥ': 'the moon', 'sopaplavaḥ': 'with disturbance/affliction

• eclipsed, troubled', 'yathā': 'as

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• mountain (parvata)
• Soma (the Moon)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that sacred sound—especially Vedic recitation and disciplined spiritual practice—sustains the auspiciousness and ‘radiance’ of a place and community. When such dharmic sound and conduct disappear, rajas and tamas (restlessness and obscuration) dominate, and even a naturally splendid setting appears spiritually diminished.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is describing a mountain/peak that once felt sanctified by the presence of holy recitations. Now, lacking those brahmaghoṣas, it seems dull and eclipsed—compared to the moon under affliction—signaling a perceived decline in sacred activity and the resulting loss of spiritual luster.