Shloka 3

Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda

Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं पृष्टो नरेन्द्रेण पाण्डवेन यशस्विना । धर्माणां परम॑ गुह्ां भीष्म: प्रोवाच पार्थिवम्‌

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: evaṁ pṛṣṭo narendreṇa pāṇḍavena yaśasvinā | dharmāṇāṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ Bhīṣmaḥ provāca pārthivam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana disse: Assim interrogado pelo ilustre rei Pāṇḍava, Bhīṣma começou a declarar ao soberano a essência suprema e mais secreta do dharma — o seu princípio mais profundo, guia do reto governo e da conduta correta.

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaishampayana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• पृष्टः: having been asked
• Type: Verb
• Root: पृच्छ्
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नरेन्द्रेण: by the king (lord of men)
• नरेन्द्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• पाण्डवेन: by the Pandava
• पाण्डवेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• यशस्विना: by the glorious/famed one
• यशस्विना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यशस्विन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• धर्माणाम्: of dharmas / of duties
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• परम्: supreme, highest
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• गुह्यम्: secret (teaching/mystery)
• गुह्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• प्रोवाच: declared, spoke forth
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, प्र

• पार्थिवम्: to the king / the earthly ruler
• पार्थिवम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pāṇḍava (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That dharma has an inner, ‘supreme secret’ dimension—beyond mere rules—worthy of careful transmission from an authoritative elder (Bhīṣma) to a responsible ruler (Yudhiṣṭhira).

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, Yudhiṣṭhira has asked a question, and Bhīṣma begins his response by expounding the deepest principles of dharma to guide the king’s conduct and governance.