Shloka 10

बक-गौतमाख्यानम् / The Baka–Gautama Account

On Gratitude and Friendship Ethics

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच तत्त्वं शृणुष्व माद्रेय यदेतत्‌ परिपृच्छसि । प्रबोधितो5स्मि भवता धातुमानिव पर्वत:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca tattvaṃ śṛṇuṣva mādreya yad etat paripṛcchasi | prabodhito 'smi bhavatā dhātumān iva parvataḥ ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ହେ ମାଦ୍ରେୟ! ତୁମେ ଯାହା ପଚାରୁଛ, ତାହାର ତତ୍ତ୍ୱ ଶୁଣ। ମୁଁ ରକ୍ତରେ ଲଥପଥ, ଗେରୁଧାତୁରେ ରଙ୍ଗା ପର୍ବତ ପରି ନିଷ୍ପନ୍ଦ ହୋଇ ପଡ଼ିଥିଲି; କିନ୍ତୁ ତୁମ ପ୍ରଶ୍ନ ମୋତେ ଜାଗ୍ରତ କରିଦେଲା।

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तत्त्वम्: the truth/essence
• तत्त्वम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शृणुष्व: listen
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• माद्रेय: O son of Madri (Nakula/Sahadeva)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माद्रेय
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• यत्: which/that (thing)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• परिपृच्छसि: you ask/inquire about
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-प्रच्छ्
• Form: Present, 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• प्रबोधितः: awakened/aroused
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-बुध्
• Form: Past passive participle (kta), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अस्मि: I am
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present, 1st, Singular

• भवता: by you
• भवता: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: भवत्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• धातुमान्: having minerals/ores; ore-bearing
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धातुमत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• पर्वतः: a mountain
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Madri’s son (Mādreya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Truth about dharma is best received through sincere inquiry: the disciple’s question itself can ‘awaken’ the teacher, even amid suffering, and becomes the doorway to ethical instruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma, grievously wounded and lying helpless after the war, addresses a son of Madri and says that the questioner’s inquiry has roused him; he now prepares to explain the essential truth being asked.