Shloka 6

Gautama’s Flight, the Enchanted Grove, and the Arrival of Rājadharma

Nāḍījaṅgha

Devanagari script

आचारानिह सत्यस्य यथावदनुपूर्वश: । लक्षणं च प्रवक्ष्यामि सत्यस्येह यथाक्रमम्‌,अब मैं तुम्हें क्रमश: सत्यके आचार और लक्षण ठीक-ठीक बताऊँगा

Transliteration

ācārān iha satyasya yathāvad anupūrvaśaḥ | lakṣaṇaṃ ca pravakṣyāmi satyasyeha yathākramam ||

Translation

ഭീഷ്മൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഇവിടെ ഞാൻ സത്യത്തിന്റേതായ ആചാരങ്ങളെ യഥാവിധി ക്രമമായി വിശദീകരിക്കും; കൂടാതെ സത്യത്തിന്റെ ലക്ഷണങ്ങളും യഥാക്രമം പ്രസ്താവിക്കും।

Word by Word

आचारान्conducts, practices

इहhere

सत्यस्यof truth

यथावत्properly, duly

अनुपूर्वशःin due order, successively

लक्षणम्mark, characteristic

चand

प्रवक्ष्यामिI shall declare/tell

सत्यस्यof truth

इहhere

यथाक्रमम्in proper sequence

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

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?

Bhishma introduces a systematic exposition of satya—both the practical disciplines that cultivate truthfulness and the defining characteristics by which true speech and true conduct can be recognized.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instructional setting, Bhishma continues his dharma-teaching and signals a structured, step-by-step explanation focused specifically on the ethics and marks of truth.