Shloka 2

Book 12, Chapter 93 — Vāmadeva’s Counsel to King Vasumanā on Dharmic Kingship (धर्मप्रधान-राजधर्मोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्‌ । गीत॑ दृष्टार्थतत्त्वेन वामदेवेन धीमता,भीष्मजीने कहा--राजन्‌! इस विषयमें लोग तत्त्वज्ञानी महात्मा वामदेवजीद्वारा दिये हुए उपदेशरूप एक प्राचीन इतिहासका उदाहरण दिया करते हैं

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṁ purātanam | gītaṁ dṛṣṭārthatattvena vāmadevena dhīmatā ||

Translation

ഭീഷ്മൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ രാജാവേ! ഈ വിഷയത്തിലും ജനങ്ങൾ ഉദാഹരണമായി ഒരു പുരാതന ഇതിഹാസം ഉദ്ധരിക്കുന്നു—വസ്തുതയുടെ തത്ത്വം നേരിൽ കണ്ട ധീമാനായ വാമദേവൻ ഉപദേശരൂപത്തിൽ പാടിയ ഗീതം.

Word by Word

भीष्मःBhishma

उवाचsaid

अत्रhere; in this matter

अपिalso; even

उदाहरन्तिthey cite; they give as an example

इमम्this

इतिहासम्narrative; ancient account

पुरातनम्ancient; old

गीतम्sung/uttered; spoken (as a teaching)

दृष्टार्थतत्त्वेनwith (true) principle of meaning grounded in direct realization

वामदेवेनby Vamadeva

धीमताby the wise one

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Vāmadeva

Rājā (the king, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira as addressee)

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 emphasizes that ethical instruction is strengthened by precedent: an ancient itihāsa and a realized sage’s utterance (Vāmadeva’s gīta) are invoked as authoritative guidance grounded in direct insight into truth.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma, addressing the king, introduces an illustrative ancient account. He signals that the next teaching will be supported by a traditional example attributed to the wise sage Vāmadeva.