Shloka 6

Devanagari script

रात्रावहनि धर्मज्ञ जपन्‌ पापैर्न लिप्यते । तत्‌ ते5हं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि शूणुष्वैकमना नूप

Transliteration

rātrāv ahani dharmajña japan pāpair na lipyate | tat te 'haṃ sampravakṣyāmi śṛṇuṣvaikamanā nṛpa dharmajña nareśvara ||

Translation

ధర్మజ్ఞ నరేశ్వరా! రాత్రింబవళ్ళు ఈ మంత్రాన్ని జపించువాడు పాపాలతో లిప్తుడుకాడు. ఆ మంత్రాన్నే నేను నీకు ప్రకటిస్తున్నాను—ఓ రాజా, ఏకాగ్రచిత్తంతో వినుము.

Word by Word

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• अहनि: in the day
• अहनि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• धर्मज्ञ: O knower of dharma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• जपन्: chanting / repeating (a mantra)
• जपन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पापैः: by/with sins
• पापैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• लिप्यते: is tainted / is smeared
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप्
• Form: Lat (Present), Atmanepada, Passive (कर्मणि प्रयोग), Third, Singular

• तत्: that (mantra/thing)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall fully tell / explain
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: सम् + प्र, Lrt (Simple Future), Parasmaipada, First, Singular

• शृणुष्व: listen
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Lot (Imperative), Parasmaipada, Second, Singular

• एकमनाः: single-minded / attentive
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकमनस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नृप: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• the king (addressed as nṛpa/nareśvara; contextually Yudhiṣṭhira)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Steady, disciplined mantra-repetition (japa), maintained continuously “by night and by day,” is presented as a purifying practice that prevents moral taint (pāpa-lepa). The verse also stresses the learner’s inner posture: attentive, single-minded listening and receptivity to dharmic instruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, instructing the king in the Anuśāsana Parva, introduces a specific mantra/teaching. He first states its fruit—freedom from sinful taint through constant japa—and then asks the king to listen with focused attention as he is about to reveal it.