Shloka 27

Devaśarmā–Vipula Dialogue on Ahorātra–Ṛtu as Moral Witnesses (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय ४३)

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच ततः स भगवांस्तस्मै विपुलाय महात्मने । आचचक्षे यथातत्त्वं मायां शक्रस्य भारत

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca tataḥ sa bhagavāṁs tasmai vipulāya mahātmane | ācacakṣe yathātattvaṁ māyāṁ śakrasya bhārata ||

Translation

Bhishma dit : Alors ce vénérable sage exposa au magnanime Vipula, selon la vérité de la chose, le pouvoir d’illusion (māyā) de Śakra (Indra), ô descendant de Bharata, afin que Vipula le comprît tel qu’il est et ne fût pas égaré par les apparences.

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भगवान्: the blessed/lordly one
• भगवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• विपुलाय: to Vipula
• विपुलाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपुल
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• महात्मने: to the great-souled one
• महात्मने: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• आचचक्षे: told/declared
• Type: Verb
• Root: चक्ष्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• यथा: as/according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• तत्त्वम्: the truth/reality
• तत्त्वम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मायाम्: illusion/magic power
• मायाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• शक्रस्य: of Shakra (Indra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Vipula
• Shakra (Indra)
• Bharata (epithet for Yudhishthira)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds discernment (viveka): one should understand deceptive appearances (māyā) as they truly are (yathā-tattvam). Ethical steadiness depends on seeing through temptation, glamour, or fear that can distort judgment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma reports that the revered sage (Devasharma in the surrounding narrative) begins instructing Vipula by explaining Indra’s māyā—Indra’s power to create misleading appearances—so Vipula can respond rightly and remain firm in dharma.