Shloka 24

Gārhasthya-dharma: Vāsudeva–Pṛthivī-saṃvāda

Householder Duties and Daily Offerings

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच इति भूमेर्वच: श्रुत्वा वासुदेव: प्रतापवान्‌ । तथा चकार सतत त्वमप्येवं सदाचर

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | iti bhūmervacaḥ śrutvā vāsudevaḥ pratāpavān | tathā cakāra satataṃ tvam apy evaṃ sadācara ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Ô Yudhiṣṭhira, ayant entendu ces paroles de la déesse Terre, le puissant Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) agit en conséquence et observa sans relâche, comme il se doit, les devoirs du maître de maison. Toi aussi, pratique et soutiens toujours ces devoirs, comme une discipline constante.»

Word by Word

• {'iti': 'thus

• in this manner (marking the conclusion/quotation)', 'bhūmeḥ': 'of the Earth (Bhūmi, the Earth-goddess)', 'vacaḥ': 'words

• statement', 'śrutvā': 'having heard', 'vāsudevaḥ': 'Vāsudeva

• Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva', 'pratāpavān': 'mighty

• illustrious', 'tathā': 'so

• accordingly', 'cakāra': 'did

• carried out', 'satatam': 'constantly

• continually', 'tvam api': 'you also', 'evam': 'in this way

• likewise', 'sadācara': 'always practice

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Bhūmi (Earth-goddess)
• Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the greatest—Kṛṣṇa himself—models disciplined adherence to gṛhastha-dharma after hearing the Earth-goddess; therefore Yudhiṣṭhira is urged to practice the same steady sadācāra (right conduct) without lapse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, instructing Yudhiṣṭhira, cites a precedent: after hearing Bhūmi’s counsel, Vāsudeva acted accordingly and continuously observed household duties; Bhīṣma then directly exhorts Yudhiṣṭhira to do likewise.