Shloka 23

Devanagari script

निबोधत यथावृत्तमुच्यमानं मयानघा: । राजवृत्तेन सम्पन्न: प्रज्मयाभिजनेन च,उस समय कौरवोंद्वारा अपने पुत्र भीष्मको जलांजलि देनेका कार्य पूरा हो जानेपर भगवती भागीरथी जलके ऊपर प्रकट हुई और शोकसे विह्नल हो रोदन एवं विलाप करती हुई कौरवोंसे कहने लगी--“निष्पाप पुत्रगण! मैं जो कहती हूँ, उस बातको यथार्थरूपसे सुनो। भीष्म राजोचित सदाचारसे सम्पन्न थे। वे उत्तम बुद्धि और श्रेष्ठ कुलसे सम्पन्न थे

Transliteration

nibodhata yathāvṛttam ucyamānaṃ mayānaghāḥ | rājavṛttena sampannaḥ prajñayābhijanena ca ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—“ഹേ അനഘന്മാരേ, ഞാൻ പറയുന്ന യഥാവൃത്തം ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ കേൾക്കുക. ഭീഷ്മൻ രാജോചിതമായ ആചാരശീലങ്ങളിൽ സമ്പന്നനായിരുന്നു; പ്രജ്ഞയിലും ഉന്നതകുലത്തിലും വിശിഷ്ടനുമായിരുന്നു.”

Word by Word

निबोधतunderstand / listen (you all)

यथाas / according to

वृत्तम्the account / what happened

उच्यमानम्being spoken

मयाby me

अनघाःO sinless ones

राजवृत्तेनwith royal conduct

सम्पन्नःendowed / possessed

प्रज्ञयाwith wisdom

अभिजनेनwith noble lineage

चand

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhīṣma

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 Bhīṣma as an exemplar of dharma through rājavṛtta (royal ethical discipline), prajñā (wisdom), and abhijana (noble lineage), implying that true greatness is measured by conduct and discernment, not merely status.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses the listeners as “blameless ones” and begins a truthful narration, introducing Bhīṣma’s virtues—his adherence to royal duty, his wisdom, and his noble birth—as part of a laudatory account connected with the aftermath of Bhīṣma’s passing.