Shloka 9

Devanagari script

पुण्यकर्मभिराख्याता देवर्षिकथिता: कथा: । चक्रतुस्तो तथा55सीनौ महर्षिकथितास्तथा,फिर उन दोनोंने गंगाजीमें गोते लगाकर मनको एकाग्र करके संक्षेपसे गायत्रीजपका कार्य पूर्ण किया। इसके बाद सूक्ष्म सुवर्णमयी बालुकासे भरे हुए सुन्दर गंगातटपर आकर वे दोनों बैठ गये और पुण्यात्मा पुरुषों, देवर्षियों तथा महर्षियोंके मुखसे सुनी हुई कथाएँ कहने-सुनने लगे

Transliteration

puṇyakarmabhir ākhyātā devarṣikathitāḥ kathāḥ | cakratuḥ sto tathāsīnau maharṣikathitās tathā ||

Translation

Bhishma berkata: Duduk di situ, kedua-duanya mula mengisahkan dan mendengar naratif suci—cerita yang terkait dengan amalan berjasa, sebagaimana diajarkan oleh para resi ilahi dan para maharishi. Maka, setelah menyempurnakan upacara penyucian, mereka pun tenggelam dalam pertukaran tradisi yang mengangkat jiwa, mengukuhkan dharma dan memperhalus budi.

Word by Word

पुण्यकर्मभिःby/with meritorious deeds

आख्याताproclaimed/declared

देवर्षिकथिताःtold by divine seers

कथाःstories, narratives

चक्रतुःthey two did/performed

तथाthus, likewise

आसीनौseated (the two)

महर्षिकथिताःtold by great seers

तथाalso, likewise

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Devarṣis

Maharṣis

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?

Dharma is strengthened not only by ritual purity and disciplined conduct but also by attentive engagement with time-tested sacred narratives. Stories transmitted by seers and sages function as ethical instruction, shaping character and guiding right action.

What is happening in the narrative?

After completing their observances, two individuals sit down and begin to tell and hear traditional sacred stories—accounts associated with meritorious deeds and taught by divine seers and great sages—creating a setting of reflective, dharma-oriented discourse.