Shloka 2

जनक–पराशर संवादः — वर्ण-गोत्र-धर्मविचारः

Janaka–Parāśara: Varṇa, Gotra, and Dharma Inquiry

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच सर्वज्ञानं परं बुद्ध्या यन्मां त्वमनुपृच्छसि । तद्‌ व्याख्यास्यामि ते तात तस्य व्याख्यामिमां शृणु

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca sarvajñānaṃ paraṃ buddhyā yan māṃ tvam anupṛcchasi | tad vyākhyāsyāmi te tāta tasya vyākhyām imāṃ śṛṇu ||

Translation

भीष्मजी ने कहा—तात! तुम मुझसे जिस अध्यात्मतत्त्व को पूछ रहे हो, वह बुद्धि के द्वारा सभी विषयों का परम ज्ञान देनेवाला है। मैं उसका विवेचन करूँगा; तुम इस व्याख्या को ध्यान देकर सुनो।

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'bhīṣma uvāca', 'definition': '‘Bhishma said’

• the speaker marker'}, {'term': 'sarvajñānam', 'definition': 'all-knowledge

• comprehensive knowledge (of all objects/subjects)'}, {'term': 'param', 'definition': 'supreme, highest, excellent'}, {'term': 'buddhyā', 'definition': 'by/through buddhi

• intellect, discernment, discriminative understanding'}, {'term': 'yat', 'definition': 'which

• that (referring to the teaching being asked)'}, {'term': 'mām', 'definition': 'me'}, {'term': 'tvam', 'definition': 'you'}, {'term': 'anupṛcchasi', 'definition': 'you inquire (after), you ask in detail/follow-up'}, {'term': 'tat', 'definition': 'that (teaching/knowledge)'}, {'term': 'vyākhyāsyāmi', 'definition': 'I shall explain, I will expound'}, {'term': 'te', 'definition': 'to you, for you'}, {'term': 'tāta', 'definition': 'dear child/son

• affectionate address to the listener'}, {'term': 'tasya', 'definition': 'of that'}, {'term': 'vyākhyām', 'definition': 'explanation, exposition, commentary'}, {'term': 'imām', 'definition': 'this (present, forthcoming)'}, {'term': 'śṛṇu', 'definition': 'listen (imperative)'}]

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma frames the forthcoming instruction as ‘supreme knowledge’ that operates through buddhi (discernment) and yields comprehensive understanding; the verse functions as a preface emphasizing attentive listening and the ethical seriousness of the inquiry.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s post-war instruction, Bhishma—addressing the inquirer affectionately as ‘tāta’—acknowledges the question and promises a systematic exposition, inviting the listener to hear the explanation with focused attention.