Shloka 7

अलोभोपाख्यानम् — शुनःसख-यातुधानी-संवादः

The Allegory of Non-Greed: Śunaḥsakha and the Yātudhānī

Devanagari script

ते सोमवचनादू देवा: पितृभि: सह भारत । मेरुशृंगे समासीनं पितामहमुपागमन्‌

Transliteration

te somavacanād ū devāḥ pitṛbhiḥ saha bhārata | meruśṛṅge samāsīnaṃ pitāmaham upāgaman |

Translation

Bhishma berkata: Menurut kata Soma, wahai Bharata, para dewa—bersama para Pitṛ (leluhur)—mendekati Pitāmaha (Brahmā) yang sedang bersemayam di puncak Gunung Meru.

Word by Word

तेthey

सोमवचनात्from Soma's word/command

देवाःthe gods

पितृभिःwith the Pitṛs (manes)

सहtogether with

भारतO Bharata

मेरुशृङ्गेon the peak of Meru

समासीनम्seated

पितामहम्the Grandfather (Brahmā)

उपागमन्approached

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Soma

Devas

Pitṛs

Bharata (Yudhiṣṭhira as addressee)

Meru

Pitāmaha (Brahmā)

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 disciplined responsiveness to rightful instruction and the importance of seeking higher counsel: even gods and ancestral powers act in harmony with command and approach the supreme authority (Brahmā) for guidance, reflecting dharma as ordered conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Following Soma’s directive, the gods, accompanied by the Pitṛs, go to Mount Meru and approach Brahmā (Pitāmaha), who is seated on its peak—setting up a divine audience or consultation.