Shloka 44

एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline

Devanagari script

भविष्यति प्रमाणं वै एतन्मदनुशासनम्‌ । 'ब्राह्मणो! जैसे मेरे प्रसादसे उत्पन्न ब्रह्मा प्रमाणभूत हैं एवं जैसे क्रोधसे उत्पन्न रुद्र

Transliteration

bhaviṣyati pramāṇaṃ vai etan mad-anuśāsanam | brāhmaṇa! yathā mama prasādasa utpannaḥ brahmā pramāṇabhūtaḥ, yathā ca krodhasa utpannaḥ rudraḥ; yathā ca yūyaṃ sarve prajāpati-sūrya-candrama-vāyu-bhūmi-jala-agni-sarva-nakṣatrāṇi tathā anyāny api bhūtanāmadhārīṇi padārthāḥ brahmavādinaś ca ṛṣayaḥ sva-svādhi-kārānusāreṇa pravartamānāḥ pramāṇabhūtā manyadhve, tathā yuṣmābhiḥ kṛtam idaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ śāstram api prāmāṇikaṃ manyiṣyate—eṣā mama ājñā || tasmāt pravakṣyate dharmān manuḥ svāyambhuvaḥ svayam; śukrācāryo bṛhaspatiś ca yadā prādurbhaviṣyataḥ tadā tau api yuṣmad-buddhi-niṣpannaṃ śāstram idaṃ pravakṣyataḥ ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—“ମୋର ଏହି ଅନୁଶାସନ ହିଁ ପ୍ରମାଣ ରୂପେ ସ୍ଥିର ହେବ। ହେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ! ଯେପରି ମୋର ପ୍ରସାଦରୁ ଉତ୍ପନ୍ନ ବ୍ରହ୍ମା ପ୍ରମାଣଭୂତ ମନାଯାନ୍ତି ଏବଂ ଯେପରି କ୍ରୋଧରୁ ଉତ୍ପନ୍ନ ରୁଦ୍ର ପ୍ରମାଣଭୂତ ମନାଯାନ୍ତି; ସେହିପରି ତୁମେ ସମସ୍ତେ—ପ୍ରଜାପତି, ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟ, ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର, ବାୟୁ, ପୃଥିବୀ, ଜଳ, ଅଗ୍ନି, ସମସ୍ତ ନକ୍ଷତ୍ର, ନାମବିଶେଷରେ ପରିଚିତ ଅନ୍ୟାନ୍ୟ ଭୂତ ଏବଂ ବ୍ରହ୍ମବାଦୀ ଋଷିଗଣ—ନିଜ-ନିଜ ଅଧିକାର ଅନୁଯାୟୀ ଆଚରଣ କରି ପ୍ରମାଣ ମନାଯାଉଛ; ସେହିପରି ତୁମେ ରଚିଥିବା ଏହି ଉତ୍ତମ ଶାସ୍ତ୍ର ମଧ୍ୟ ପ୍ରାମାଣିକ ମନାଯିବ—ଏହା ମୋର ଆଜ୍ଞା। ତେଣୁ ସ୍ୱାୟମ୍ଭୁବ ମନୁ ସ୍ୱୟଂ ଏହି ଗ୍ରନ୍ଥ ଅନୁସାରେ ଧର୍ମ ଉପଦେଶ କରିବେ; ଏବଂ ଉଶନା (ଶୁକ୍ରାଚାର୍ଯ୍ୟ) ଓ ବୃହସ୍ପତି ପ୍ରକଟ ହେଲେ, ସେମାନେ ମଧ୍ୟ ତୁମ ବୁଦ୍ଧିରୁ ଉଦ୍ଭୂତ ଏହି ଶାସ୍ତ୍ରର ପ୍ରବଚନ କରିବେ।”

Word by Word

• भविष्यति: will be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), 3, singular, परस्मैपद

• प्रमाणम्: authoritative standard; valid authority
• प्रमाणम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (निपात)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• मत्: from me
• मत्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: —, ablative (panchami), singular

• अनुशासनम्: instruction; command
• अनुशासनम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुशासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (Bhīṣma)
• Brahmin (Brāhmaṇa, addressee)
• Brahmā
• Rudra (Śiva)
• Prajāpatis
• Sūrya (Sun)
• Candrama/Chandra (Moon)
• Vāyu (Wind)
• Bhūmi (Earth)
• Jala (Water)
• Agni (Fire)
• Nakṣatras (constellations)
• Brahmavādin Ṛṣis (seers who teach Brahman)
• Svāyambhuva Manu
• Śukrācārya
• Bṛhaspati
• Śāstra (the treatise being authorized)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma establishes that a dharma-śāstra gains binding authority when it is sanctioned within the cosmic hierarchy of recognized pramāṇas: deities, progenitors, and Brahman-knowing seers each function as authorities in their domains, and likewise the composed treatise will be accepted as a standard for dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s discourse on dharma, he addresses a Brahmin and proclaims that his injunction will make the newly composed śāstra authoritative; he further foretells that future lawgivers and teachers—Svāyambhuva Manu, Śukra, and Bṛhaspati—will teach dharma in accordance with that very text.