Shloka 23

Devanagari script

भग्वत्र्यज्ञिरस: सिद्धा: काश्यपाश्च तपोधना: । वसिष्ठगौतमागस्त्यास्तथा नारदपर्वतौ,भृगु, अत्रि और अड्जिरा-ये सिद्ध मुनि, तपस्याके धनी काश्यपगण, वसिष्ठ, गौतम, अगस्त्य, देवर्षि नारद, पर्वत, वालखिल्य ऋषि, प्रभास, सिकत, घृतप (घी पीकर रहनेवाले), सोमप (सोमपान करनेवाले), वायव्य (वायु पीकर रहनेवाले), मरीचिप (सूर्यकी किरणोंका पान करनेवाले) और वैश्वानर तथा अकृष्ट (बिना जोते-बोये उत्पन्न हुए अन्नसे जीविका चलानेवाले), हंसमुनि (संन्यासी), अग्निसे उत्पन्न होनेवाले ऋषिगण, वानप्रस्थ और पृश्चरिगण--ये सभी महात्मा ब्रह्माजीकी आज्ञाके अधीन रहकर सनातनधर्मका पालन करने लगे

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | bhṛgvatrayaṅgirasaḥ siddhāḥ kāśyapāś ca tapodhanāḥ | vasiṣṭha-gautamāgastyaḥ tathā nārada-parvatau |

Translation

ભીષ્મે કહ્યું—ભૃગુ, અત્રિ અને આંગિરસવંશીય સિદ્ધ મુનિઓ, તપોધન કાશ્યપગણ; તેમજ વસિષ્ઠ, ગૌતમ, અગસ્ત્ય, દેવર્ષિ નારદ અને પર્વત—આ સર્વ મહાત્માઓ બ્રહ્માજીની આજ્ઞા હેઠળ રહી સનાતન ધર્મનું આચરણ કરવા લાગ્યા.

Word by Word

भृगवःthe Bhrigus (sages)

अत्र्यङ्गिरसःAtri and the Angirases

सिद्धाःaccomplished/perfected

काश्यपाःthe Kashyapas

चand

तपोधनाःthose whose wealth is austerity (ascetics)

वसिष्ठःVasiṣṭha

गौतमःGautama

अगस्त्याःthe Agastyas / (or) Agastya and his line

तथाlikewise

नारदःNārada

पर्वतौParvata (dual form as in the text; intended: Parvata)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Bhrigu

Atri

Angiras (Angirases)

Kashyapa (Kashyapas)

Vasistha

Gautama

Agastya

Narada

Parvata

Brahma (implied by the prose gloss)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That the highest exemplars of spiritual life—perfected sages and great ascetics—uphold the eternal Dharma by aligning their conduct with the cosmic ordinance (here, framed as Brahmā’s command), showing that true authority is grounded in disciplined practice and fidelity to Dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is enumerating revered ṛṣis and ascetic lineages, presenting them as models who, under the divine order, maintained and propagated Sanātana-dharma—supporting his broader instruction in Śānti Parva on righteous conduct and social-spiritual stability.