Shloka 3

Adhyāya 119: Vyāsa–Kīṭa-saṃvāda

Tapas-bala and karmic ascent across yoni

Devanagari script

एतदिच्छामि तत्त्वेन कथ्यमानं त्वयानघ । निश्चयेन चिकीर्षामि धर्ममेतं सनातनम्‌

Transliteration

etad icchāmi tattvena kathyamānaṃ tvayānagha | niścayena cikīrṣāmi dharmam etaṃ sanātanam || niṣpāpa pitāmaha ||

Translation

निष्पाप पितामह! या विषयाचे तत्त्वतः विवेचन आपण करावे, अशी माझी इच्छा आहे. मी निश्चयपूर्वक या सनातन धर्माचे आचरण करू इच्छितो.

Word by Word

• {'etad': 'this (matter/teaching)', 'icchāmi': 'I desire

• I wish', 'tattvena': 'in truth

• according to the real principle/essence', 'kathyamānam': 'being told

• being explained', 'tvayā': 'by you (instrumental singular)', 'anagha': 'O blameless one

• sinless', 'niścayena': 'with certainty

• with firm resolve', 'cikīrṣāmi': 'I intend to do

• I wish to undertake/practice', 'dharmaḥ (dharmam)': 'dharma

• moral-religious law', 'etaṃ': 'this', 'sanātanam': 'eternal

• perennial', 'niṣpāpa': 'O free from sin

• spotless', 'pitāmaha': 'grandfather

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes a disciplined approach to dharma: one should seek an accurate, principle-based explanation (tattvena) from a trustworthy authority and then commit to practicing that eternal moral order with firm resolve (niścayena).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instructional setting, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Bhīṣma as the revered grandsire and requests a truthful, detailed exposition of the topic at hand, declaring his determination to follow the eternal dharma that Bhīṣma is teaching.