Shloka 4

Guru’s Instruction on Dream, Mind, Guṇas, and Knowing Brahman

Svapna–Manas–Guṇa–Brahma-vicāra

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच पुराहं मृगयां यातो मार्कण्डेयाश्रमे स्थित: । तत्रापश्यं मुनिगणान्‌ समासीनान्‌ सहस्रश:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca purāhaṁ mṛgayāṁ yāto mārkaṇḍeyāśrame sthitaḥ | tatrāpaśyaṁ munigaṇān samāsīnān sahasraśaḥ ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ହେ ରାଜନ୍! ପୂର୍ବେ ମୁଁ ମୃଗୟା ପାଇଁ ବନକୁ ଯାଇ ମହର୍ଷି ମାର୍କଣ୍ଡେୟଙ୍କ ଆଶ୍ରମରେ ରହିଥିଲି। ସେଠାରେ ମୁଁ ସହସ୍ର ସହସ୍ର ମୁନିଗଣଙ୍କୁ ଏକତ୍ର ଆସୀନ ଦେଖିଲି।

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पुरा: formerly, once
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मृगयाम्: hunting, chase
• मृगयाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगया
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• यातः: gone
• Type: Verb
• Root: या
• Form: क्त (past passive participle, used actively), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मार्कण्डेय-आश्रमे: in Markandeya's hermitage
• मार्कण्डेय-आश्रमे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेयाश्रम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• स्थितः: stayed, remained
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था
• Form: क्त (past passive participle, used actively), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• अपश्यम्: I saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect (Anadyatana-bhuta), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मुनि-गणान्: groups of sages
• मुनि-गणान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनिगण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• समासीनान्: seated
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आस्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सहस्रशः: by thousands, in thousands
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशः

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• King (Yudhishthira)
• Markandeya
• Markandeya's hermitage (āśrama)
• assemblies of sages (munigaṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets an ethical-narrative frame: a warrior-elder (Bhishma) recalls encountering a vast assembly of sages at a renowned hermitage, signaling that the forthcoming instruction is grounded in ascetic authority and dharma rather than mere royal power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma begins a recollection addressed to the king: during a past hunting excursion he stayed at Markandeya’s hermitage and witnessed thousands of sages seated there, introducing the setting for the discourse that follows.