Shloka 2

Āpad-dharma and Discernment in Livelihood (आपद्धर्मे विज्ञानबलम्)

Devanagari script

तस्मात्‌ कथय भूयस्त्वं धर्ममेव पितामह । न हि तृप्तिमहं यामि पिबन्‌ धर्मामृतं हि ते,अतः पितामह! आप पुनः धर्मकी ही बात बताइये। आपके धर्मोपदेशरूपी अमृतका पान करते समय मुझे यह नहीं अनुभव होता है कि बस, अब पूरा हो गया, बल्कि सुननेकी प्यास और बढ़ती ही जाती है

Transliteration

tasmāt kathaya bhūyas tvaṃ dharmam eva pitāmaha | na hi tṛptim ahaṃ yāmi piban dharmāmṛtaṃ hi te ||

Translation

तस्मात् कथय भूयस्त्वं धर्ममेव पितामह। न हि तृप्तिमहं यामि पिबन् धर्मामृतं हि ते॥ अतः पितामह, भूय एव धर्ममेव कथय; तव धर्मोपदेशामृतं पिबन् अहं न कदाचन तृप्तिं गच्छामि, श्रोतुमिच्छा तु भूयसी वर्धते।

Word by Word

तस्मात्therefore

कथयtell (speak)

भूयःagain, further, more

त्वम्you

धर्मम्dharma, righteousness

एवindeed, only

पितामहO grandsire

नnot

हिindeed, for

तृप्तिम्satisfaction, satiety

अहम्I

यामिI attain, I reach (i.e., I get)

पिबन्drinking

धर्मामृतम्the nectar of dharma

हिindeed

तेof you, your

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Pitāmaha (Bhīṣma)

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?

Yudhiṣṭhira expresses that true instruction in dharma is inexhaustible: the more one listens and internalizes it, the more one’s desire to understand and live by it grows. The verse highlights reverence for ethical teaching and the ideal of continual learning in righteousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira, seeking guidance after the devastation of war, requests the revered elder Bhīṣma (addressed as Pitāmaha) to continue expounding dharma. He compares Bhīṣma’s counsel to nectar, saying he never feels ‘enough’ of it.