Shloka 4

Devanagari script

आभिमुख्यादभिक्रम्य स्नेहात्‌ पृच्छामि ते द्विज । विविक्ते गोमतीतीरे क॑ वा त्वं पर्युपाससे,“ब्रह्मन! मैं आपके सामने आकर प्रेमपूर्वक पूछता हूँ कि गोमतीके इस एकान्त तटपर आप किसकी उपासना करते हैं?”

Transliteration

ābhimukhyād abhikramya snehāt pṛcchāmi te dvija | vivikte gomatītīre kaṁ vā tvaṁ paryupāsase ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「面と向かって近づき、親愛の情から問う。二度生まれし者よ、この人里離れたゴーマティー河の岸辺で、あなたはいったい誰を敬虔に礼拝し、仕えているのか。」

Word by Word

आभिमुख्यात्from (your) presence / from facing (you)

अभिक्रम्यhaving approached / having stepped up to

स्नेहात्out of affection

पृच्छामिI ask

तेto you

द्विजO twice-born (brahmin)

विविक्तेin a secluded (place)

गोमतीतीरेon the bank of the Gomati (river)

कःwho

वाindeed / or (interrogative particle)

त्वम्you

पर्युपाससेyou worship / attend upon

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

dvija (a Brahmin/ascetic being addressed)

Gomatī (river)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse models dharmic inquiry: respectful, affectionate questioning directed toward understanding another’s object of worship and discipline, implying that spiritual practice should be approached with humility and direct engagement.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma approaches a Brahmin/ascetic on the secluded bank of the Gomatī and asks whom the ascetic worships there, setting up a dialogue about devotion, practice, or the nature of the revered deity/principle.