Shloka 7

उपवासफलात्मकविधिः — Upavāsa as Yajña-Equivalent Merit

Angiras Teaching

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं ब्रुवाणं कौन्तेयं धर्मज्ञं धर्मतत्त्ववित्‌ । धर्मपुत्रमिदं वाक्‍्यं भीष्म: शान्तनवोडब्रवीत्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

evaṁ bruvāṇaṁ kaunteyaṁ dharmajñaṁ dharmatattvavit |

dharmaputram idaṁ vākyaṁ bhīṣmaḥ śāntanavo ’bravīt ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Lorsque Yudhiṣṭhira, fils de Kuntī—appelé Dharmaputra, connaisseur du dharma et de sa vérité intime—eut parlé ainsi, Bhīṣma, fils de Śāntanu, qui comprenait les principes du dharma, lui répondit en ces termes.

Word by Word

• {'vaiśampāyana uvāca': 'Vaiśampāyana said', 'evaṁ': 'thus, in this manner', 'bruvāṇam': 'speaking, having spoken (present participle)', 'kaunteyam': 'the son of Kuntī (Yudhiṣṭhira)', 'dharmajñam': 'knower of dharma

• one versed in righteousness', 'dharmatattvavit': 'knower of the essence/principle (tattva) of dharma', 'dharmaputram': 'Dharmaputra

• ‘son of Dharma’ (epithet of Yudhiṣṭhira)', 'idaṁ vākyam': 'these words

• this statement', 'bhīṣmaḥ': 'Bhīṣma', 'śāntanavaḥ': 'son/descendant of Śāntanu (Bhīṣma)', 'abravīt': 'said, spoke'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira (Kaunteya, Dharmaputra)
• Bhīṣma
• Śāntanu

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames the authority and ethical seriousness of the exchange: Yudhiṣṭhira is presented as a sincere inquirer and knower of dharma, and Bhīṣma as a qualified teacher of dharma’s principles, preparing the listener for a normative (dharma-centered) instruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Yudhiṣṭhira has asked or spoken in a particular way, Vaiśampāyana narrates that Bhīṣma—lying on the bed of arrows and delivering counsel in the Anuśāsana Parva—responds to him with the next instruction.