Shloka 98

Varṇa-dharma and Rājadharma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Outline (वर्णधर्म-राजधर्म-प्रश्नोत्तरम्)

Devanagari script

भूयो<स्य दक्षिणं पार्णिं ममन्थुस्ते महर्षय: । ततः पुरुष उत्पन्नो रूपेणेन्द्र इवापर:

Transliteration

bhūyo 'sya dakṣiṇaṃ pāṇiṃ mamanthus te maharṣayaḥ | tataḥ puruṣa utpanno rūpeṇendra ivāparaḥ ||

Translation

Dijo Bhīṣma: Una vez más, aquellos grandes sabios batieron su mano derecha. De ella surgió otro hombre, cuya apariencia era como la del propio Indra.

Word by Word

• भूयः: again, once more
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस्

• अस्य: of him (of that one)
• अस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• दक्षिणम्: right (side)
• दक्षिणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पार्ष्णिम्: heel
• पार्ष्णिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्ष्णि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• ममन्थुः: they churned/produced by churning
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्थ्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ततः: then, from that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• पुरुषः: a man/person
• पुरुषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उत्पन्नः: arisen, born
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + पद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• रूपेण: in form/appearance
• रूपेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अपरः: another, second
• अपरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• भीष्म (Bhīṣma)
• महर्षयः (Maharṣis)
• वेन (Vena)
• इन्द्र (Indra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when a lineage is tainted by unrighteous rule, dharma can be re-established through the corrective agency of the wise; rightful kingship is portrayed as something that must align with cosmic and social order, not mere heredity or power.

What is happening in the narrative?

The sages perform a ritualized 'churning' of King Vena’s right hand, and from it a second man is produced, radiant like Indra—an episode traditionally understood as the manifestation of a divinely empowered ruler (associated with Pṛthu) meant to restore proper governance.