Shloka 90

Varṇa-dharma and Rājadharma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Outline (वर्णधर्म-राजधर्म-प्रश्नोत्तरम्)

Devanagari script

कीर्तिमांस्तस्य पुत्रो5भूत्‌ सोडपि पठ्चातिगो5भवत्‌ | कर्दमस्तस्य तु सुत: सोडप्यतप्यन्महत्‌ तप:

Transliteration

kīrtimāṁs tasya putro ’bhūt so ’pi pañcātigo ’bhavat | kardamas tasya tu sutaḥ so ’py atapyat mahat tapaḥ |

Translation

विरजाचा ‘कीर्तिमान’ नावाचा पुत्र झाला. तोही पाचही विषयांपलीकडे जाऊन मोक्षमार्गाचाच आश्रय घेऊ लागला. कीर्तिमानाचा पुत्र कर्दम झाला; त्यानेही महान तप केले.

Word by Word

• कीर्तिमान्: Kīrtimān (a person named ‘Famous/Glorious’)
• कीर्तिमान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्तिमत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्य: of him
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभूत्: was/became
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Aorist (simple past), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• पञ्च: five
• Type: Numeral
• Root: पञ्च

• अतिगः: one who has gone beyond/surpassed
• अतिगः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभवत्: became/was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (past), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कर्दमः: Kardama (proper name)
• कर्दमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्दम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्य: of him
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• सुतः: son
• सुतः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अतप्यत्: performed austerity/was practicing penance
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप्
• Form: Imperfect (past), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तपः: austerity/penance
• तपः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Kīrtimān
• Kardama

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse praises transcendence of the five sense-objects and commitment to mokṣa through self-restraint and tapas, presenting renunciation as an inherited ideal within a righteous lineage.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma continues a genealogical account: a son named Kīrtimān is born, he becomes detached from sense-enjoyments and follows the liberation-path, and his son Kardama likewise engages in intense austerities.