Shloka 2

जनक–पराशर संवादः — वर्ण-गोत्र-धर्मविचारः

Janaka–Parāśara: Varṇa, Gotra, and Dharma Inquiry

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच सर्वज्ञानं परं बुद्ध्या यन्मां त्वमनुपृच्छसि । तद्‌ व्याख्यास्यामि ते तात तस्य व्याख्यामिमां शृणु,भीष्मजीने कहा--तात! तुम मुझसे जिस अध्यात्मतत्त्वको पूछ रहे हो, वह बुद्धिके द्वारा सभी विषयोंका उत्तम ज्ञान प्रदान करनेवाला है। मैं तुमसे उसकी व्याख्या करूँगा, तुम उस व्याख्याको ध्यान देकर सुनो

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca sarvajñānaṃ paraṃ buddhyā yan māṃ tvam anupṛcchasi | tad vyākhyāsyāmi te tāta tasya vyākhyām imāṃ śṛṇu ||

Translation

भीष्म उवाच—सर्वज्ञानं परं बुद्ध्या यन्मां त्वमनुपृच्छसि । तद्व्याख्यास्यामि ते तात तस्य व्याख्यामिमां शृणु ॥

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'bhīṣma uvāca', 'definition': '‘Bhishma said’

• the speaker marker'}, {'term': 'sarvajñānam', 'definition': 'all-knowledge

• comprehensive knowledge (of all objects/subjects)'}, {'term': 'param', 'definition': 'supreme, highest, excellent'}, {'term': 'buddhyā', 'definition': 'by/through buddhi

• intellect, discernment, discriminative understanding'}, {'term': 'yat', 'definition': 'which

• that (referring to the teaching being asked)'}, {'term': 'mām', 'definition': 'me'}, {'term': 'tvam', 'definition': 'you'}, {'term': 'anupṛcchasi', 'definition': 'you inquire (after), you ask in detail/follow-up'}, {'term': 'tat', 'definition': 'that (teaching/knowledge)'}, {'term': 'vyākhyāsyāmi', 'definition': 'I shall explain, I will expound'}, {'term': 'te', 'definition': 'to you, for you'}, {'term': 'tāta', 'definition': 'dear child/son

• affectionate address to the listener'}, {'term': 'tasya', 'definition': 'of that'}, {'term': 'vyākhyām', 'definition': 'explanation, exposition, commentary'}, {'term': 'imām', 'definition': 'this (present, forthcoming)'}, {'term': 'śṛṇu', 'definition': 'listen (imperative)'}]

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma frames the forthcoming instruction as ‘supreme knowledge’ that operates through buddhi (discernment) and yields comprehensive understanding; the verse functions as a preface emphasizing attentive listening and the ethical seriousness of the inquiry.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s post-war instruction, Bhishma—addressing the inquirer affectionately as ‘tāta’—acknowledges the question and promises a systematic exposition, inviting the listener to hear the explanation with focused attention.