Shloka 5

प्रजाविसर्ग-तत्त्वनिर्णयः | Cosmogony of Elemental Emergence

Bharadvāja–Bhṛgu Dialogue

Devanagari script

पुत्र बवाच धीर: किंस्वित्‌ तात कुर्यात्‌ प्रजानन्‌ क्षिप्रं ह्मायुर्श्श्यते मानवानाम्‌ । पितस्तदाचक्ष्व यथार्थयोगं ममानुपूर्व्या येन धर्म चरेयम्‌

Transliteration

putra uvāca dhīraḥ: kiṃsvit tāta kuryāt prajānann kṣipraṃ hy āyuḥ kṣīyate mānavānām | pitas tad ācakṣva yathārtha-yogaṃ mamānupūrvyā yena dharmaṃ careyam ||

Translation

ପୁତ୍ର କହିଲା—ପିତା, ମନୁଷ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କର ଆୟୁ ଶୀଘ୍ର କ୍ଷୟ ହେଉଛି—ଏହା ଜାଣି ଧୀର ଓ ବିବେକୀ ପୁରୁଷ କ’ଣ କରିବା ଉଚିତ? ତାତ, ମୁଁ ଧର୍ମାନୁସାରେ ଚାଲିପାରିବି ଭାବେ, ସେଇ ଯଥାର୍ଥ ଉପାୟଟି କ୍ରମେ କ୍ରମେ କହନ୍ତୁ।

Word by Word

• पुत्रः: the son
• पुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धीरः: the steadfast/wise man
• धीरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धीर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• स्वित्: indeed/ever (interrogative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वित्

• तात: O father/dear father
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कुर्यात्: should do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Optative, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• प्रजानन्: knowing/being aware
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-ज्ञा
• Form: Present active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षिप्रम्: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षिप्र

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• आयुः: life-span
• आयुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• क्षीयते: diminishes/is wasted away
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षि
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• मानवानाम्: of humans
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• पितः: O father
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तत्: that (thing/teaching)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आचक्ष्व: tell/declare
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चक्ष्
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular, Atmanepada

• यथार्थयोगम्: the true means/method
• यथार्थयोगम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यथार्थयोग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मम: to me/of me
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• अनुपूर्व्या: in due order/step by step
• अनुपूर्व्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुपूर्वी
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• धर्मम्: dharma/righteousness
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• चरेयम्: I may practice/observe
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर्
• Form: Optative, 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• son (putra)
• father (tāta/pitā)
• human beings (mānavāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Awareness of life’s brevity should lead a wise person to seek a true, practical discipline for living dharmically; the verse frames dharma as something to be learned methodically and practiced deliberately.

What is happening in the narrative?

A son respectfully questions his father, asking for step-by-step instruction on the correct means to practice dharma, motivated by the realization that human lifespan passes quickly.