Shloka 8

Devanagari script

प्रस्थाप्य पूर्व कौन्तेयो भीष्मसंस्करणाय वै | माल्यानि च वराहाणि रत्नानि विविधानि च,कुन्तीनन्दन युधिष्ठिरने भीष्मजीका दाह-संस्कार करनेके लिये पहले ही घृत, माल्य, गन्ध, रेशमी वस्त्र, चन्दन, अगुरु, काला चन्दन, श्रेष्ठ पुरुषके धारण करनेयोग्य मालाएँ तथा नाना प्रकारके रत्न भेज दिये थे

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | prasthāpya pūrva kaunteyo bhīṣma-saṃskaraṇāya vai | mālyāni ca varāhāṇi ratnāni vividhāni ca ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: Sebelumnya, putera Kuntī (Yudhiṣṭhira) telah pun mengutus, untuk upacara jenazah Bhīṣma, kalungan bunga dan persembahan pilihan, serta pelbagai jenis permata berharga—bagi memuliakan sang tua agung dengan hormat yang dituntut oleh dharma.

Word by Word

प्रस्थाप्यhaving dispatched/sent forth

पूर्वम्beforehand/previously

कौन्तेयःthe son of Kunti (Yudhishthira)

भीष्मof Bhishma

संस्करणायfor the funeral rites/cremation preparations

वैindeed/for sure (emphatic particle)

माल्यानिgarlands/wreaths

चand

वराहाणिboars (as offerings/animals)

रत्नानिgems/jewels

विविधानिvarious/kinds of

चand

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kaunteya (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Bhīṣma

saṃskāra (funeral rites)

mālya (garlands)

ratna (gems/jewels)

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?

The verse highlights dharma expressed as reverence and proper ritual duty toward elders and the departed: a righteous king honours Bhīṣma not merely emotionally but through correct saṃskāra and fitting offerings, showing gratitude and adherence to social-ethical order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira had already arranged and sent items needed for Bhīṣma’s funerary preparations—garlands, select ritual articles, and various jewels—indicating that the Pāṇḍavas were preparing to perform Bhīṣma’s last rites with full honour.