Shloka 20

Bhīṣma on the Śara-Śayyā: Yudhiṣṭhira and Kṛṣṇa Approach the Eldest for Śānti

Devanagari script

त्वां हि राज्ये स्थितं स्फीते समग्राड्रमरोगिणम्‌ । स्त्रीसहस्रै: परिवृतं पश्यामीवोर्ध्वरेतसम्‌

Transliteration

tvāṃ hi rājye sthitaṃ sphīte samagrāḍramarogiṇam | strīsahasraiḥ parivṛtaṃ paśyāmīvōrdhvaretasam ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: «Я вижу тебя утверждённым в цветущем царстве — телом цельным и совершенным, свободным от недугов, — окружённым тысячами женщин; и всё же я созерцаю тебя как “урдхварету”, стойкого в непрерывном целомудрии».

Word by Word

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• राज्ये: in the kingdom/sovereignty
• राज्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• स्थितम्: situated/established
• Type: Participle
• Root: स्था
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, Parasmaipada (passive sense), क्त (past passive participle)

• स्फीते: prosperous/abundant
• स्फीते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्फीत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• समग्र: entire/complete
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समग्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अद्रम्: limb/body-part (reading-dependent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अद्र (अङ्ग/अद्र as read in this pāṭha)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अमरोगिणम्: free from disease/healthy
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमरोगिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• स्त्री: women
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (as prior member in compound), —

• सहस्रैः: by thousands (a thousand)
• सहस्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun/Number
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• परिवृतम्: surrounded
• Type: Participle
• Root: वृत् (वृ)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, परि, क्त (past passive participle)

• पश्यामि: I see
• पश्यामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्
• Form: Present, Indicative, 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• इव: as if/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• ऊर्ध्वरेतसम्: one whose semen is restrained/upward (continent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्वरेतस्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• a king/royal addressee (unnamed in this verse)
• kingdom (rājya)
• thousands of women (strīsahasra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True dharma is shown as inner mastery: even with health, wealth, sovereignty, and constant access to pleasure, a person can remain disciplined and restrained (ūrdhvaretas), demonstrating that virtue depends on self-governance rather than external conditions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses a royal figure, describing his prosperous rule and the presence of many women around him, yet praising (or marveling at) his continued celibate-like restraint—setting up a discussion on ethical conduct and self-control within worldly life.