Shloka 15

Phala of Vrata, Niyama, Svādhyāya, Dama, Satya, Brahmacarya, and Service (व्रत-नियम-स्वाध्याय-दम-सत्य-ब्रह्मचर्य-शुश्रूषा-फलप्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

कुर्वन्‌ भवच्छासनमाशु यातो हाहं विशालां रुचिरप्रभावाम्‌ | वैवस्वतीं प्राप्प सभामपश्यं सहस्रशो योजनहेमभासम्‌

Transliteration

kurvan bhavacchāsanam āśu yāto hāhaṃ viśālāṃ rucira-prabhāvām | vaivasvatīṃ prāpya sabhām apaśyaṃ sahasraśo yojana-hema-bhāsam ||

Translation

Bhishma dit : « Obéissant à ton ordre, je partis sur-le-champ. Parvenu à la vaste cité de Yama—belle de rayonnement et de puissance—j’aperçus la salle d’assemblée de Vaivasvata, resplendissante d’un éclat d’or dont la lumière se déployait sur des milliers de yojanas. »

Word by Word

• कुर्वन्: doing, performing
• कुर्वन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: present (vartamāna), singular, masculine, nominative

• भवत्-शासनम्: your command
• भवत्-शासनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु

• यातः: gone, departed
• यातः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: past (kta), singular, masculine, nominative

• हा: alas!
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हा

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: nominative, singular

• विशालाम्: vast
• विशालाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• रुचिर-प्रभावाम्: of lovely splendor/power
• रुचिर-प्रभावाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• वैवस्वतीम्: Vaivasvatī (Yama’s city/realm)
• वैवस्वतीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैवस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• प्राप्य: having reached
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: absolutive (ktvā/lyap)

• सभाम्: assembly hall
• सभाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• अपश्यम्: I saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: imperfect (laṅ), 1st, singular

• सहस्रशः: by thousands, in thousands
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस्

• योजन-हेम-भासम्: having radiance like gold for (many) yojanas
• योजन-हेम-भासम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Vaivasvata (Yama)
• Vaivasvatī (Yama’s city/realm)
• Sabhā (assembly hall/court)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds disciplined obedience to rightful instruction (śāsana) and frames moral order as ultimately overseen by Yama (Vaivasvata). The dazzling, far-reaching radiance of the court symbolizes the inescapable visibility of deeds within the ethical cosmos.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker recounts departing immediately to fulfill a command and arriving in Yama’s vast realm. There he sees Yama’s magnificent assembly hall, described as shining like gold with a brilliance extending thousands of yojanas.