Shloka 53

ब्राह्मणपूजा-राजधर्मः | Royal Duty of Honoring Learned Brahmins

Devanagari script

एतत्‌ तु वचन श्रुत्वा भगोस्तथ्यं प्रतर्दन:

Transliteration

etat tu vacanaṃ śrutvā bhagoḥ tathyaṃ pratardanaḥ | maharṣiṃ bhṛguṃ caiva yathārtha-vacanaṃ śrutvā pratardano bahu prasannaḥ san śanaiḥ śanaiḥ tayor ubhayor caraṇau spṛṣṭvā uvāca— “bhagavan! yadi evaṃ, tarhi ahaṃ kṛtakṛtyo ’smi; atra saṃśayo nāsti.”

Translation

ଏହି ସତ୍ୟବଚନ ଶୁଣି ପ୍ରତର୍ଦନ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ପ୍ରସନ୍ନ ହେଲା। ସେ ଭକ୍ତିରେ ଧୀରେ ଧୀରେ ମହର୍ଷିଙ୍କ ପାଦ ସ୍ପର୍ଶ କରି କହିଲା— “ଭଗବନ୍! ଯଦି ଏହା ଏମିତି ହୁଏ, ତେବେ ମୁଁ କୃତକୃତ୍ୟ; ଏଥିରେ ସନ୍ଦେହ ନାହିଁ।”

Word by Word

• एतत्: this (statement/thing)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

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

• वचनम्: speech/word/statement
• वचनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• भगोः: of Bhagu (the sage)
• भगोः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• तथ्यम्: true/real
• तथ्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तथ्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रतर्दनः: Pratardana
• प्रतर्दनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतर्दन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Pratardana
• Bhrigu (sage)
• Maharshis (sages)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Truthful instruction (tathya/yathārtha-vacana) has transformative ethical force: when a seeker receives clear, reality-aligned guidance from a worthy authority, it brings inner completion (kṛtakṛtyatā) and removes doubt.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing the sages’ truthful words, Pratardana becomes pleased, approaches with humility, touches their feet as a sign of reverence, and declares that if what he has heard is true, then his aim is fulfilled and he has no remaining doubt.