Shloka 9

Kṛṣṇa’s Dhyāna and the Prompt to Question Bhīṣma (कृष्णध्यानं भीष्मप्रश्नप्रेरणा च)

Devanagari script

त्वत्प्रपन्नाय भक्ताय शिरसा प्रणताय च । ध्यानस्यास्य यथा तच्त्व॑ ब्रृहि धर्मभूतां वर

Transliteration

tvatprapannāya bhaktāya śirasā praṇatāya ca | dhyānasyāsya yathā tattvaṁ brūhi dharmabhūtāṁ vara ||

Translation

ຢຸທິສຖິຣະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ຕໍ່ຂ້າພະອົງ—ຜູ້ໄດ້ພຶ່ງພາອາໄສໃນພຣະອົງ, ຜູ້ມີພັກດີ, ແລະຜູ້ກົດຫົວກ້ອມກາບ—ຂໍໃຫ້ພຣະອົງ, ຜູ້ປະເສີດໃນທາງທຳ, ອະທິບາຍສະພາບທີ່ແທ້ ແລະວິທີທີ່ຖືກຕ້ອງຂອງການພິຈາລະນານີ້ ຕາມຄວາມເປັນຈິງ.

Word by Word

त्वत्of you/your

प्रपन्नायto one who has taken refuge/surrendered

भक्तायto a devotee

शिरसाwith (my) head

प्रणतायto one who is bowed down/prostrated

चand

ध्यानस्यof meditation

अस्यof this

यथाas/how

तत्त्वम्the true nature/essence

ब्रूहिtell (me)

धर्मभूताम्which is of the nature of dharma/constituting dharma

वरO excellent one

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

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 frames spiritual instruction as arising from humility and surrender: the seeker approaches with devotion and reverence and asks for the ‘tattva’—the true principle and correct understanding—of meditation, implying that right inner practice is integral to dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction setting, Yudhiṣṭhira, adopting the posture of a disciple, declares his refuge and devotion and requests a clear explanation of the nature and method of the meditation being taught by the righteous teacher.