Shloka 13

Devanagari script

अयं ब्रद्मविदां श्रेष्ठो हायं ब्रह्मविदां वर: | इत्यभाषन्त भूतानि शयानं पुरुषर्षभम्‌

Transliteration

ayaṁ brahmavidāṁ śreṣṭho hy ayaṁ brahmavidāṁ varaḥ | ity abhāṣanta bhūtāni śayānaṁ puruṣarṣabham ||

Translation

ਸ਼ਰ-ਸ਼ਯਿਆ ਉੱਤੇ ਪਏ ਮਨੁੱਖਾਂ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਸ਼੍ਰੇਸ਼ਠ ਭੀਸ਼ਮ ਨੂੰ ਵੇਖ ਕੇ ਕੁਝ ਦਿਵ੍ਯ ਜੀਵ ਬੋਲੇ—“ਇਹ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ-ਵਿਦਾਂ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਅਗੇਵਾਨ ਹੈ; ਬ੍ਰਹਮ-ਜ੍ਞਾਨੀਆਂ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਇਹੀ ਸਰਵੋਤਮ ਹੈ।”

Word by Word

• अयम्: this (man)
• अयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्रह्मविदाम्: of the knowers of Brahman
• ब्रह्मविदाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मविद्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• श्रेष्ठः: the best
• श्रेष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ह: indeed / surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

• अयम्: this (man)
• अयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्रह्मविदाम्: of the knowers of Brahman
• ब्रह्मविदाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मविद्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• वरः: excellent / best
• वरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• अभाषन्त: spoke / said
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष्
• Form: Imperfect, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• भूतानि: beings
• भूतानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• शयानम्: lying (down)
• शयानम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: शी
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पुरुषर्षभम्: the bull among men / best of men
• पुरुषर्षभम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• bhūtāni (divine/celestial beings)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True greatness is measured not only by martial power but by inner realization and steadfast dharma; Bhīṣma is honored as a foremost knower of Brahman, showing that spiritual attainment and ethical integrity command reverence even amid the violence of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Bhīṣma has fallen and lies reclining (traditionally on a bed of arrows), celestial beings observe him and proclaim him the best among Brahman-knowers; Sañjaya reports this acclaim, elevating the moment from battlefield spectacle to moral-spiritual recognition.