Shloka 3

Śukasya Janma-yoga-phalaṁ — Vyāsasya Tapasā Putrārthaḥ (Śānti-parva 310)

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि इतिहासं पुरातनम्‌ । याज्ञवल्क्यस्य संवादं जनकस्य च भारत,भीष्मजी बोले--भरतनन्दन! इस विषयमें मैं तुम्हें जनक और याज्ञवल्क्यका संवादरूप एक प्राचीन इतिहास सुनाऊँगा

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca: atra te vartayiṣyāmi itihāsaṃ purātanam | yājñavalkyasya saṃvādaṃ janakasya ca bhārata ||

Translation

பீஷ்மர் கூறினார்— பாரதா! இவ்விஷயத்தில் உனக்கு ஒரு பழமையான வரலாற்றைச் சொல்கிறேன்—யாஜ்ஞவல்க்யருக்கும் அரசன் ஜனகருக்கும் இடையிலான உரையாடல்.

Word by Word

[{'term''atra', 'definition': 'here

in this context'}, {'term''te', 'definition': 'to you'}, {'term': 'vartayiṣyāmi', 'definition': 'I will relate

I will narrate'}, {'term''itihāsam', 'definition': 'traditional account

ancient narrative (itihāsa)'}, {'term''purātanam', 'definition': 'ancient

of old'}, {'term''saṃvādam', 'definition': 'dialogue

discourse'}, {'term''yājñavalkyasya', 'definition': 'of Yājñavalkya (the sage)'}, {'term': 'janakasya', 'definition': 'of Janaka (the king)'}, {'term': 'ca', 'definition': 'and'}, {'term': 'bhārata', 'definition': 'O Bharata

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Yājñavalkya

Janaka

Bhārata (addressee)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames instruction through an authoritative ancient dialogue: Bhishma signals that ethical and dharmic clarity will be conveyed by recounting the celebrated discourse between the sage Yājñavalkya and King Janaka, a model pairing of spiritual wisdom and righteous rulership.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma begins a new illustrative episode: he tells the listener (addressed as “Bhārata”) that he will now narrate an old traditional account, specifically the dialogue between Yājñavalkya and Janaka, as a means to explain the topic under discussion.