Shloka 13

Kurukṣetra–Sarasvatī Tīrtha-Māhātmya

Pilgrimage Merits and Sacred Geography

Devanagari script

पुरा भागीरथीतीरे भीष्मो धर्मभूतां वर: । पित्र्यं ब्रतं समास्थाय न्यवसन्मुनिभि: सह,महाभाग! पहलेकी बात है, देवताओं और गन्धर्वोसे सेवित गंगाद्वार (हरिद्वार)-तीर्थमें भागीरथीके पवित्र, शुभ एवं देवर्षिसेवित तट-प्रदेशमें श्रेष्ठ धर्मात्मा भीष्मजी पितृसम्बन्धी (श्राद्ध, तर्पण आदि) व्रतका आश्रय ले महर्षियोंके साथ रहते थे

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | purā bhāgīrathītīre bhīṣmo dharmabhūtāṃ varaḥ | pitryaṃ vrataṃ samāsthāya nyavasan munibhiḥ saha ||

Translation

ナーラダは言った。いにしえ、バーギーラティー（ガンガー）の岸辺において、ダルマに立つ者の中の最勝たるビーシュマは、祖霊（ピトリ）に捧げる戒行—シュラーダッダやタルパナ（供水）など—を受け持ち、諸仙とともにそこに住していた。

Word by Word

पुराformerly, in the past

भागीरथी-तीरेon the bank of the Bhāgīrathī (Gaṅgā)

भीष्मःBhīṣma

धर्म-भूतानाम्of those who are righteous / of the virtuous

वरःthe best, excellent

पित्र्यम्ancestral, pertaining to the Pitṛs

व्रतम्vow, observance

समास्थायhaving undertaken, having adopted

न्यवसत्dwelt, stayed

मुनिभिःwith sages

सहtogether with

महाभागO fortunate one / O noble one

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Bhīṣma

Bhāgīrathī (Gaṅgā)

Pitṛs (ancestors)

Munis (sages)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma includes responsibility to one’s ancestors and lineage: disciplined performance of pitṛ-related rites (pitrya-vrata) is presented as a mark of a truly dharmic person, exemplified by Bhīṣma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada recalls an earlier time when Bhīṣma stayed on the Bhāgīrathī’s bank, having undertaken an ancestral observance, and lived in the company of sages—setting the scene for a dharma-centered episode.