Shloka 3

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 113 — Maryādā-sthāpana (Śvetaketu’s Boundary) and the Niyoga Deliberation of Pāṇḍu and Kuntī

Devanagari script

तमागतमभिशश्रुत्य भीष्म॑ बाह्लीकपुड्भव: । प्रत्युद्गम्यार्चयित्वा च पुरं प्रावेशयन्नूप:,बाह्लीकशिरोमणि राजा शल्य भीष्मजीका आगमन सुनकर उनकी अगवानीके लिये नगरसे बाहर आये और यथोचित स्वागत-सत्कार करके उन्हें राजधानीके भीतर ले गये

Transliteration

tam āgatam abhiśrutya bhīṣmo bāhlīkapuḍbhavaḥ | pratyudgamya arcayitvā ca puraṁ prāveśayannṛpaḥ ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: Услышав о его прибытии, царь Шалья, происходивший из рода Бахлика, вышел за город навстречу. Воздав подобающие почести и оказав уважительный прием, царь ввел его в столицу. Эпизод подчеркивает кшатрийскую этику гостеприимства и почитания знатных гостей и старших, когда публичная честь становится зримым проявлением дхармы.

Word by Word

तम्him

आगतम्arrived

अभिश्रुत्यhaving heard (of)

भीष्मःBhishma

बाह्लीकपुत्रभवःborn as the son of Bahlika

प्रत्युद्गम्यhaving gone out to meet

अर्चयित्वाhaving honored/worshipped

चand

पुरम्the city

प्रावेशयत्caused (him) to enter / led in

नृपःthe king

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhīṣma

Bāhlīka (lineage reference)

pura (the city/capital)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma expressed through royal etiquette: a righteous ruler shows humility and respect by personally going out to receive an honored arrival, offering proper reverence, and ensuring safe, dignified entry into the city.

What is happening in the narrative?

On hearing of the person’s arrival, Bhīṣma goes outside the city to welcome him, performs appropriate honors, and then escorts him into the capital, marking a formal reception of an important figure.