Shloka 1

Vrata–Dāna Compendium at Puṣkara: Puṣpavāhana’s Account and the Ṣaṣṭhī-vrata Purification Rite

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच । अत्याश्चर्यवती रम्या कथेयं पापनाशिनी । विस्तरेण च मे ब्रूहि याथातथ्येन पृच्छतः

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | atyāścaryavatī ramyā katheyaṃ pāpanāśinī | vistareṇa ca me brūhi yāthātathyena pṛcchataḥ

Translation

Bhīṣma disse: Esta narrativa é sobremodo maravilhosa, encantadora e destruidora do pecado. Conta-ma em pleno detalhe, exatamente como é, pois eu pergunto.

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhīṣma
• भीष्मः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect/लिट्, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada

• अति-आश्चर्य-वतী: very wondrous
• अति-आश्चर्य-वतী: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय) + आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वत्/वतī (प्रातिपदिक-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); 'exceedingly wonderful'

• रम्या: delightful
• रम्या: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with कथा

• कथा: story
• कथा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); demonstrative pronoun

• पाप-नाशिनी: sin-destroying
• पाप-नाशिनी: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'destroyer of sins'

• विस्तरेण: in detail
• विस्तरेण: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण) / Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); used adverbially 'in detail'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चय-अव्यय)

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान) / Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन); enclitic pronoun

• ब्रूहि: tell (you)
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: Imperative/लोट्, 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada

• याथा-तथ्येन: truthfully / as it really is
• याथा-तथ्येन: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण) / Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याथातथ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); adverbial sense 'according to the real facts/as it truly is'

• पृच्छतः: of (me) asking
• पृच्छतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन); 'of me who am asking'

Speaker

Bhīṣma

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shringara

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: कथेयं = कथा + इयम्; अत्याश्चर्यवती = अति + आश्चर्यवती; याथातथ्येन is treated as an avyayībhāva compound meaning 'as-it-is/in accordance with truth'

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

FAQs

What is Bhīṣma requesting in this verse?

He asks the narrator to recount the story in full detail and exactly as it happened, emphasizing accuracy (yāthātathyena).

What does the term pāpanāśinī imply about the story?

It presents the narrative as spiritually purifying—hearing or engaging with it is portrayed as removing sin and fostering merit.

What ethical or devotional attitude is modeled here?

Reverent inquiry: the listener values truthful transmission, careful detail, and the transformative power of sacred narration.