Shloka 13

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेयमुखात्‌ कृत्स्नं यतिधर्ममवाप्तवान्‌ । रामादस्त्राणि शक्राच्च प्राप्तवान्‌ पुरुषर्षभ:,'पुरुषप्रवर भीष्मने मार्कण्डेयजीके मुखसे सम्पूर्ण यतिधर्मका ज्ञान प्राप्त किया है और परशुराम तथा इन्द्रसे अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंकी शिक्षा पायी है

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeyamukhāt kṛtsnaṃ yatidharmaṃ avāptavān | rāmāt astrāṇi śakrācca prāptavān puruṣarṣabhaḥ ||

Translation

Waiśampāyana berkata: Sang banteng di antara manusia, Bhīṣma, memperoleh sepenuhnya dharma para pertapa dari lisan Mārkaṇḍeya; dan ia pun menerima ajaran senjata dari Rāma (Paraśurāma) serta dari Śakra (Indra).

Word by Word

मार्कण्डेयof Markandeya

मुखात्from (the) mouth

कृत्स्नम्entire, whole

यतिof an ascetic (yati)

धर्मम्duty, code of conduct

अवाप्तवान्obtained, attained

रामात्from Rama (Parashurama)

अस्त्राणिweapons (missiles/arms)

शक्रात्from Shakra (Indra)

चand

प्राप्तवान्received, obtained

पुरुषर्षभःbull among men, best of men

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Mārkaṇḍeya

Yatidharma

Rāma (Paraśurāma)

Śakra (Indra)

Bhīṣma

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?

True authority in dharma-discourse is grounded in comprehensive ethical discipline (yatidharmānuśāsana) as well as practical competence; Bhīṣma’s guidance is validated by learning from a great ṛṣi (Mārkaṇḍeya) and by mastery of martial knowledge from eminent teachers (Paraśurāma and Indra).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is describing Bhīṣma’s qualifications: he acquired complete knowledge of ascetic conduct from sage Mārkaṇḍeya and received weapon-instruction from Paraśurāma and Indra, establishing why Bhīṣma is fit to instruct Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma in the Śānti Parva.