Shloka 52

ब्राह्मणपूजा-राजधर्मः | Royal Duty of Honoring Learned Brahmins

Devanagari script

तमुवाच कृपाविष्टो भृगुर्थर्मभूतां वर:

Transliteration

tam uvāca kṛpāviṣṭo bhṛgur dharmabhūtāṁ varaḥ

Translation

Saisi de compassion, le sage Bhṛgu—le premier parmi ceux qui demeurent établis dans le dharma—s’adressa à lui, donnant d’emblée la mesure morale de ce qui allait suivre.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कृपा-आविष्टः: overcome/possessed by compassion
• कृपा-आविष्टः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृपा + आविष्ट (√विश्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भृगुः: Bhrigu
• भृगुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृगु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्म-भूतानाम्: of those who had become righteous / of the righteous ones
• धर्म-भूतानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + भूत (√भू)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (context-dependent), Genitive, Plural

• वरः: the excellent one / the best
• वरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhṛgu

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the proper emotional ground for dharma-instruction: compassion (kṛpā) joined with moral authority. Ethical counsel is presented as most effective and legitimate when it arises from empathy rather than harshness or pride.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma reports that the sage Bhṛgu, stirred by compassion, begins to speak to a person previously mentioned (“him”). This functions as a transition into Bhṛgu’s forthcoming guidance, marking him as a foremost authority on dharma.