Shloka 2

Nārada–Vāyu–Śalmali Upākhyāna: Enmity with the Strong and the Primacy of Buddhi (नारद-वायु-शल्मलि उपाख्यानम्)

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि पुराणमृषिसंस्तुतम्‌ । इन्द्रोत: शौनको विप्रो यदाह जनमेजयम्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | atra te vartayiṣyāmi purāṇam ṛṣi-saṁstutam | indrotaḥ śaunako vipro yad āha janamejayam ||

Translation

ഭീഷ്മൻ പറഞ്ഞു— രാജാവേ! ഈ വിഷയത്തിൽ ഋഷിമാർ പ്രശംസിച്ച ഒരു പുരാതന കഥ ഞാൻ നിന്നോട് പറയാം; ശൗനകവംശീയനായ ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ ഇന്ദ്രോതൻ ഒരിക്കൽ രാജാവ് ജനമേജയനോട് പറഞ്ഞതുതന്നെ അത്।

Word by Word

• {'atra': 'here

• in this context', 'te': 'to you', 'vartayiṣyāmi': 'I shall narrate

• I shall relate', 'purāṇam': 'ancient narrative

• old tradition/account', 'ṛṣi-saṁstutam': 'praised/approved by sages', 'indrotaḥ': 'Indrota (proper name)', 'śaunakaḥ': 'Śaunaka

• of Śaunaka’s lineage', 'vipraḥ': 'Brahmin

• learned priest', 'yat': 'which

• what', 'āha': 'said

• spoke', 'janamejayam': 'to Janamejaya (proper name

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Indrota
• Śaunaka
• Janamejaya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Authoritative dharma-instruction is often grounded in ancient, sage-approved tradition; Bhishma frames his counsel as a time-tested teaching transmitted through respected teachers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma introduces a forthcoming discourse by announcing that he will recount an old, rishi-praised episode—originally spoken by the Brahmin Indrota (of Śaunaka’s lineage) to King Janamejaya.