Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पुरा महर्षिक्ष्यवनो भार्गवों भरतर्षभ । उदवासकृतारम्भो बभूव स महाव्रत:,भरतश्रेष्ठ! पूर्वकालकी बात है, भृगुके पुत्र महर्षि च्यवनने महान्‌ व्रतका आश्रय ले जलके भीतर रहना आरम्भ किया

Transliteration

purā maharṣiś cyavano bhārgavo bharatarṣabha | udavāsakṛtārambho babhūva sa mahāvrataḥ ||

Translation

భరతశ్రేష్ఠా! పూర్వకాలంలో భృగువంశీయుడైన మహర్షి చ్యవనుడు మహావ్రతాన్ని స్వీకరించి జలమధ్య నివసించే తపస్సును ఆరంభించాడు।

Word by Word

पुराformerly, in olden times

महर्षिःthe great sage

च्यवनःCyavana

भार्गवःa Bhārgava (descendant of Bhṛgu)

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas

उदवासकृतारम्भःhaving begun dwelling in water

बभूवbecame

सःhe

महाव्रतःof great vow; great-vowed

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Cyavana

Bhṛgu (lineage reference)

Bharata (dynastic reference / addressee)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

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 the dharmic ideal of self-restraint: a great vow (mahāvrata) and disciplined austerity (tapas) are presented as legitimate means to spiritual and ethical elevation, setting up a model of steadfast commitment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma begins an illustrative ancient account: he introduces the sage Cyavana of the Bhṛgu lineage, who undertakes a severe observance by starting to live immersed in water, preparing the ground for a larger moral or dharmic lesson.