Shloka 2

अध्याय २८६ — पराशर-उपदेशः

Ethical Restraint, Mortality, and Karma

Devanagari script

भीष्य उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्‌ । नारदस्य च संवादं समड्रस्य च भारत

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam | nāradasya ca saṃvādaṃ samaṅgasya ca bhārata ||

Translation

भीष्म उवाच—अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। नारदस्य च संवादं समङ्गस्य च भारत॥

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular

• अत्र: here; in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• उदाहरन्ति: they cite; they give as an example
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-आ-हृ
• Form: Present, 3rd, Plural

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इतिहासम्: ancient tale; history
• इतिहासम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पुरातनम्: ancient; old
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरातन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नारदस्य: of Narada
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• संवादम्: dialogue; conversation
• संवादम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवाद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• समङ्गस्य: of Samanga (proper name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समङ्ग
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• भारत: O Bharata (descendant of Bharata)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Narada
• Samaṅga
• Bharata (epithet/address)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma signals that the point under discussion should be understood through an authoritative traditional exemplum: an ancient narrative framed as a dialogue, which serves as a moral and dharmic precedent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma transitions into a cited story: he introduces an old itihasa in the form of a conversation between the sage Narada and Samaṅga, addressed to the listener as ‘Bharata’ (Yudhiṣṭhira).