Shloka 17

Gautama–Yama Saṃvāda: Mātṛ-Pitṛ-Ṛṇa (Debt to Parents) and Śubha-Loka Attainment

Devanagari script

यदि गुह्ां न वो नित्य॑ तदा प्रब्रूत मा चिरम्‌ न गुहां श्रोतुमिच्छामि युष्मद्भ्यो द्विजसत्तमा:

Transliteration

yadi guhyaṁ na vo nityaṁ tadā prabrūta mā ciram | na guhyaṁ śrotum icchāmi yuṣmadbhyo dvijasattamāḥ ||

Translation

ភីស្មៈ «បើរឿងនេះមិនត្រូវរក្សាជាសម្ងាត់ក្នុងចំណោមព្រះអង្គទាំងឡាយទេ នោះសូមប្រាប់ឲ្យឆាប់ កុំឲ្យយូរ។ ឱ ព្រាហ្មណ៍ដ៏ប្រសើរបំផុតក្នុងចំណោមអ្នកកើតពីរដង! ខ្ញុំមិនប្រាថ្នាស្តាប់ពីព្រះអង្គទាំងឡាយអំពីអ្វីដែលគួរត្រូវរក្សាជាអាថ៌កំបាំងសម្ងាត់ឡើយ»។

Word by Word

• {'yadi': 'if', 'guhyam': 'secret, confidential matter

• esoteric teaching', 'na': 'not', 'vaḥ (vo)': 'of you, to you (plural)', 'nityam': 'always, perpetually', 'tadā': 'then', 'prabrūta': 'tell, declare (imperative, plural)', 'mā': 'do not (prohibitive) / here: ‘do not (delay)’ with ciram', 'ciram': 'for long

• delay', 'śrotum': 'to hear', 'icchāmi': 'I wish, I desire', 'yuṣmadbhyaḥ': 'from you (plural, ablative)', 'dvijasattamāḥ': 'O best of the twice-born (address to eminent brāhmaṇas/sages)'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• dvijasattamāḥ (brahmin sages)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma sets an ethical boundary for instruction: teachings should be shared openly only when appropriate; he refuses to receive knowledge that is meant to remain confidential, emphasizing responsible transmission of doctrine.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Bhīṣma addresses learned brāhmaṇas/sages and urges them to speak promptly—provided the matter is not a guarded secret—indicating his concern for propriety in hearing and teaching.