Shloka 24

Gārhasthya-dharma: Vāsudeva–Pṛthivī-saṃvāda

Householder Duties and Daily Offerings

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच इति भूमेर्वच: श्रुत्वा वासुदेव: प्रतापवान्‌ । तथा चकार सतत त्वमप्येवं सदाचर

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | iti bhūmervacaḥ śrutvā vāsudevaḥ pratāpavān | tathā cakāra satataṃ tvam apy evaṃ sadācara ||

Translation

ਭੀਸ਼ਮ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ— ਹੇ ਯੁਧਿਸ਼ਠਿਰ! ਧਰਤੀ-ਦੇਵੀ ਦੇ ਇਹ ਬਚਨ ਸੁਣ ਕੇ ਪ੍ਰਤਾਪੀ ਵਾਸੁਦੇਵ (ਸ਼੍ਰੀਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨ) ਨੇ ਉਸੇ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਕਰਮ ਕੀਤਾ ਅਤੇ ਨਿਰੰਤਰ ਵਿਧੀ-ਪੂਰਵਕ ਗ੍ਰਿਹਸਥ-ਧਰਮਾਂ ਦਾ ਪਾਲਣ ਕੀਤਾ। ਤੂੰ ਵੀ ਸਦਾ ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਧਰਮਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਆਚਰਣ ਕਰਦਾ ਰਹੁ।

Word by Word

• {'iti': 'thus

• in this manner (marking the conclusion/quotation)', 'bhūmeḥ': 'of the Earth (Bhūmi, the Earth-goddess)', 'vacaḥ': 'words

• statement', 'śrutvā': 'having heard', 'vāsudevaḥ': 'Vāsudeva

• Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva', 'pratāpavān': 'mighty

• illustrious', 'tathā': 'so

• accordingly', 'cakāra': 'did

• carried out', 'satatam': 'constantly

• continually', 'tvam api': 'you also', 'evam': 'in this way

• likewise', 'sadācara': 'always practice

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Bhūmi (Earth-goddess)
• Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the greatest—Kṛṣṇa himself—models disciplined adherence to gṛhastha-dharma after hearing the Earth-goddess; therefore Yudhiṣṭhira is urged to practice the same steady sadācāra (right conduct) without lapse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, instructing Yudhiṣṭhira, cites a precedent: after hearing Bhūmi’s counsel, Vāsudeva acted accordingly and continuously observed household duties; Bhīṣma then directly exhorts Yudhiṣṭhira to do likewise.