Shloka 9

Devanagari script

भरतनन्दन नरेश्वर! तुमने जिसके विषयमें मुझसे पूछा था

Transliteration

bharatanandana nareśvara! tvayā yasya viṣaye mama pṛṣṭaṃ tad eva śreṣṭho dharmaḥ. sa dhīro brāhmaṇo niṣkāma-bhāvena dharma-artha-sambandhiṣu kāryeṣu saṃlagna āsīt. satyaṃ kila kṛta-niścayo dvijo bhujaga-pati-pratideśitātma-kṛtyaḥ; yama-niyama-sahaḥ vanāntaraṃ parigaṇitocchiṣṭa-śilāśanaḥ praviṣṭaḥ.

Translation

Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai keturunan Bharata, wahai raja! Apa yang engkau tanyakan kepadaku—itulah dharma tertinggi. Brahmana yang teguh itu, tanpa pamrih, senantiasa bergiat dalam perbuatan yang berkaitan dengan dharma dan artha. Sungguh, setelah memahami kewajibannya sebagaimana diajarkan oleh raja para ular, sang dwija meneguhkan tekad lalu memasuki hutan yang lain; di sana, dengan menyantap makanan secukupnya yang diperoleh melalui cara hidup ucciṣṭa-śilā, ia menunaikan yama dan niyama.”

Word by Word

• सत्यम्: truly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Avyaya (used as sentence-adverb)

• किल: indeed / it is said
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल
• Form: Avyaya (particle)

• कृतनिश्चयः: firmly resolved
• कृतनिश्चयः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतनिश्चय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• द्विजः: Brahmin (twice-born)
• द्विजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भुजगपतिप्रतिदेशितात्मकृत्यः: whose own duty was instructed by the lord of serpents
• भुजगपतिप्रतिदेशितात्मकृत्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुजगपति-प्रतिदेशित-आत्मकृत्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यमनियमसहः: accompanied by (observing) yama and niyama
• यमनियमसहः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यमनियमसह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वनान्तरम्: another forest / forest-interior
• वनान्तरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनान्तर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• परिगणित: measured / limited
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-गण्
• Form: Past passive participle (kta), used adjectivally

• उच्छशिलाशनः: one who eats uñchha-śilā (gleaned/grain-collected) food
• उच्छशिलाशनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उच्छशिलाशन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रविष्टः: having entered
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-विश्
• Form: Past active participle (kta), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (भीष्म)
• Bharatanandana (address to the king, i.e., Yudhishthira)
• Nareśvara (the king, addressed)
• Brahmin ascetic (द्विज/ब्राह्मण)
• Bhujagapati / Nāgarāja (lord of serpents)
• Forest (vanāntara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents ‘highest dharma’ as disciplined, desireless engagement with rightful duties (dharma and artha) grounded in firm resolve, ethical restraints (yama), and observances (niyama), even under austere living conditions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma explains to the king that a Brahmin, after receiving instruction from the lord of serpents about his proper duty, makes a firm vow, goes into another forest, lives on a severely limited gleaned/leftover-food regimen, and practices yama and niyama.