Shloka 24

Puruṣaikatva-vyākhyāna: The One Virāṭ Puruṣa and the Many ‘Puruṣas’

Rudra–Brahmā Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

एकं त्वनुग्रहं तुभ्यं दह्मो वै नृपसत्तम । यावत्‌ त्वं शापदोषेण कालमासिष्यसेडनघ,“निष्पाप नृपशिरोमणे! हम तुम्हें अपना एक अनुग्रह प्रदान करते हैं। तुम शापदोषके कारण जबतक-जितने समयतक पृथ्वीके विवरमें रहोगे, तबतक एकाग्रचित्त ब्राह्मणोंद्वारा यज्ञोंमें दी हुई वसुधाराकी आहुति तुम्हें प्राप्त होती रहेगी

Transliteration

ekaṁ tv anugrahaṁ tubhyaṁ dadmo vai nṛpasattama | yāvat tvaṁ śāpadoṣeṇa kālam āsiṣyase 'nagha ||

Translation

भीष्म म्हणाले—“हे नृपसत्तम, निष्पाप! आम्ही तुला एक अनुग्रह देतो—शापदोषामुळे जितका काळ तुला (बद्ध) राहावे लागेल, तितका काळ एकाग्रचित्त ब्राह्मणांनी यज्ञांत अर्पण केलेली ‘वसुधारा’ आहुती तुला सतत प्राप्त होत राहील.”

Word by Word

• {'ekaṁ': 'one, a single', 'anugraham': 'favor, boon, gracious grant', 'tubhyaṁ': 'to you', 'dadmaḥ (dadmo)': 'we give, we grant', 'vai': 'indeed, surely (emphatic particle)', 'nṛpa-sattama': 'best among kings', 'yāvat': 'as long as, until such time as', 'śāpa-doṣeṇa': 'because of the defect/effect of a curse', 'kālam': 'time, duration', 'āsiṣyase': 'you will remain/abide (for a time)', 'anagha': 'sinless, blameless (vocative address)'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• king (nṛpasattama)
• Brahmins (brāhmaṇāḥ)
• śāpa (curse)
• vasudhārā (a continuous oblation/stream of ghee or offering in yajña)
• yajña (sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how ritual merit (especially offerings made with focused intent by qualified Brahmins) can be directed as a sustaining boon, even to someone suffering under a curse—showing the ethical idea that dharmic acts and blessings can mitigate hardship without negating the consequences of wrongdoing or fate.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma addresses a king and grants a specific favor: during the period the king must endure confinement due to a curse, the sacrificial ‘vasudhārā’ oblations offered in yajñas by concentrated Brahmins will continue to reach and support him.