Shloka 3

प्रजापतयः देवगणाश्च दिशि-दिशि स्थिताः ऋषयः

Prajāpatis, Deva-Groups, and the Ṛṣis Assigned to the Directions

Devanagari script

प्रजापति श्रेष्ठतमं प्रजानां देवर्षिसंघप्रवरो महर्षि: । बृहस्पति: प्रश्नमिमं पुराणं पप्रच्छ शिष्यो5थ गुरुं प्रणम्य,एक समयकी बात है, देवता और ऋषियोंकी मण्डलीमें प्रधान महर्षि बृहस्पतिने प्रजाओंके श्रेष्ठतम प्रजापति गुरु मनुको शिष्यभावसे प्रणाम करके यह प्राचीन प्रश्न पूछा --

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | prajāpatiśreṣṭhatamaṃ prajānāṃ devarṣisaṅghapravaro maharṣiḥ | bṛhaspatiḥ praśnam imaṃ purāṇaṃ papraccha śiṣyo 'tha guruṃ praṇamya ||

Translation

प्रजापतिं श्रेष्ठतमं प्रजानां देवर्षिसंघप्रवरो महर्षिः । बृहस्पतिः प्रश्नमिमं पुराणं पप्रच्छ शिष्योऽथ गुरुं प्रणम्य ॥

Word by Word

• {'prajāpati': 'lord/progenitor of creatures

• a creator and regulator of beings', 'śreṣṭhatama': 'the very best, most excellent', 'prajānām': 'of the subjects/creatures/people', 'devarṣi': 'divine seer (a rishi among the gods)', 'saṅgha': 'assembly, group', 'pravara': 'foremost, pre-eminent', 'maharṣi': 'great sage', 'bṛhaspati': 'Brihaspati, preceptor of the gods

• a revered sage', 'praśna': 'question, inquiry', 'imam': 'this', 'purāṇa': 'ancient, time-honoured

• also ‘of old tradition’', 'papraccha': 'asked, inquired', 'śiṣya': 'disciple, student', 'atha': 'then, thereafter', 'guru': 'teacher, spiritual preceptor', 'praṇamya': 'having bowed, having paid obeisance'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Brihaspati
• Manu
• Prajapati
• Devas
• Rishis (Devarshi-sangha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the ethical method of learning dharma: even the foremost sage approaches knowledge through humility, reverence to the guru, and careful questioning rooted in ancient tradition.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma introduces a traditional episode: Brihaspati, leader among divine seers, bows to his teacher Manu (a Prajapati) and poses an old, authoritative question, setting up a discourse on right conduct and governance.