Shloka 2

Śrī-nivāsa: Traits and Conditions for the Abode of Prosperity (श्री-निवासः)

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच अत्र ते वर्णयिष्यामि यथावृत्तं यथाश्रुतम्‌ । रुक्मिणी देवकीपुत्रसंनिधौ पर्यपृच्छत

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | atra te varṇayiṣyāmi yathāvṛttaṃ yathāśrutam | rukmiṇī devakīputrasaṃnidhau paryapṛcchat |

Translation

ਭੀਸ਼ਮ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ—ਹੇ ਰਾਜਨ! ਇਸ ਵਿਸ਼ੇ ਬਾਰੇ ਜੋ ਵ੍ਰਿਤਾਂਤ ਜਿਵੇਂ ਮੈਂ ਸੁਣਿਆ ਹੈ, ਓਸੇ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਮੈਂ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਦੱਸਾਂਗਾ। ਦੇਵਕੀ-ਪੁੱਤਰ ਸ਼੍ਰੀਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨ ਦੇ ਸਨਿੱਧਾਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਰੁਕਮਿਣੀ ਨੇ ਸ਼੍ਰੀ (ਲਕਸ਼ਮੀ) ਨੂੰ ਜੋ ਪੁੱਛਿਆ ਸੀ, ਉਹ ਮੇਰੇ ਕੋਲੋਂ ਸੁਣ।

Word by Word

• {'atra': 'here

• in this context', 'te': 'to you', 'varṇayiṣyāmi': 'I shall describe

• I will narrate', 'yathā-vṛttam': 'as it happened

• according to the actual occurrence', 'yathā-śrutam': 'as heard

• according to received tradition', 'rukmiṇī': 'Rukmiṇī (queen of Kṛṣṇa)', 'devakī-putra': 'son of Devakī

• Kṛṣṇa', 'saṃnidhau': 'in the presence

• nearby', 'paryapṛcchat': 'she asked

• she inquired (respectfully/earnestly)', 'bhīṣma uvāca': 'Bhishma said'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• King (Yudhiṣṭhira, implied addressee)
• Rukmiṇī
• Kṛṣṇa
• Devakī

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse establishes an ethical standard for instruction: Bhishma promises to narrate faithfully—both as it truly occurred (yathāvṛttam) and as it has been reliably heard (yathāśrutam)—highlighting accuracy, integrity, and respect for trustworthy transmission.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma begins a new anecdote for the king: he will recount a specific episode in which Rukmiṇī, in Kṛṣṇa’s presence, asked him questions on the topic under discussion, and Bhishma now relays that account.