Shloka 3

Śreyas-nirdeśa (Discerning the Superior Good): Nārada–Gālava Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

द्विजाते: कस्यचित्‌ पार्थ स्वाध्यायनिरतस्य वै । पुत्रो बभूव मेधावी मेधावी नाम नामतः,कुन्तीनन्दन! प्राचीनकालमें किसी स्वाध्यायपरायण ब्राह्मणके एक बड़ा मेधावी पुत्र उत्पन्न हुआ, जिसका नाम “मेधावी” ही था

Transliteration

dvijāteḥ kasyacit pārtha svādhyāya-niratasya vai | putro babhūva medhāvī medhāvī nāma nāmataḥ ||

Translation

பீஷ்மர் கூறினார்— பார்த்தா! பழங்காலத்தில் வேதாத்யயனத்தில் ஈடுபட்ட ஒரு த்விஜனுக்கு மிகுந்த அறிவாற்றல் கொண்ட ஒரு மகன் பிறந்தான்; அவன் மேதையால் ‘மேதாவி’ என்ற பெயராலேயே புகழ்பெற்றான்.

Word by Word

द्विजातेःof a (certain) twice-born (brahmin)

कस्यचित्of someone, of a certain (person)

पार्थO Partha (Arjuna)

स्वाध्यायनिरतस्यof one devoted to self-study (Vedic recitation)

वैindeed, surely

पुत्रःa son

बभूवwas born / came to be

मेधावीintelligent, wise

मेधावीMedhāvin (proper name)

नामname

नामतःby name, in name

कुन्तीनन्दनO son of Kunti

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Partha (Yudhishthira)

a certain dvija (Brahmin)

Medhavi (the son)

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?

The verse foregrounds svādhyāya (disciplined sacred study) as a foundational virtue: devotion to learning and recitation is presented as a dharmic excellence that shapes character and becomes the ground for exemplary conduct, introduced through the figure of the wise son, Medhāvī.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma begins an illustrative account addressed to Partha (Yudhishthira): he introduces a brahmin devoted to svādhyāya and the birth of his exceptionally intelligent son, whose very name, Medhāvī, reflects his renowned wisdom—setting up a moral narrative to follow.