Shloka 44

Devanagari script

उपदिष्टमिहेच्छामि तापस्यं वीतकल्मषा: । युष्माभिवदेवसंकाशै: कृपा भवतु वो मयि,“निष्पाप तापसगण! मैं चाहती हूँ कि आप देवोपम साधुपुरुष मुझे तपस्याका उपदेश दें, मुझपर आपलोगोंकी कृपा हो”

Transliteration

upadiṣṭam ihēcchāmi tāpasyaṁ vītakalmaṣāḥ | yuṣmābhir deva-saṅkāśaiḥ kṛpā bhavatu vo mayi ||

Translation

Dijo Bhīṣma: «Deseo, aquí y ahora, recibir instrucción en la disciplina ascética (tapas). Oh ascetas sin pecado, radiantes como los dioses: tened compasión de mí y enseñadme la práctica del tapas».

Word by Word

उपदिष्टम्instruction (that which is taught)

इहhere, in this matter

इच्छामिI desire

तापस्यम्ascetic practice, penance

वीतकल्मषाःfree from sin/impurity

युष्माभिःby you (all)

देवसंकाशैःby (you) god-like ones

कृपाcompassion, grace

भवतुlet it be

वःof you / your

मयिin/unto me

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

tapasvins (ascetic sages)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds humility and moral readiness as prerequisites for spiritual learning: one should approach the pure and disciplined (vītakalmaṣāḥ), request instruction respectfully, and recognize compassion (kṛpā) as the proper bridge between teacher and seeker.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within Bhishma’s discourse, a speaker (quoted by Bhishma) addresses a group of sinless, godlike ascetics and asks them to teach the discipline of tapas, appealing to their compassion to grant guidance.