Shloka 7

Chapter 84: Brahmā’s Counsel on Tāraka, the Search for Agni, and the Genesis of Skanda

Kārttikeya

Devanagari script

ऋषीणामुत्तमं धीमान्‌ कृष्णद्वैपायनं शुक: । अभिवाद्याह्विककृतः शुचि: प्रयतमानस:

Transliteration

Bhīṣma uvāca: Ṛṣīṇām uttamaṁ dhīmān Kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaṁ Śukaḥ | abhivādyāhvikakṛtaḥ śuciḥ prayatamānasaḥ, niṣpāpa nareśa! asmin viṣaye ’haṁ te purāṇaṁ vṛttāntaṁ śrāvayiṣyāmi | ekadā paramabuddhimān Śukadevaḥ nityakarmaṇo ’nuṣṭhānaṁ kṛtvā pavitraḥ śuddhacitto bhūtvā pitaram—ṛṣīṇām uttamaṁ Śrī-Kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaṁ Vyāsaṁ, yaḥ lokasya bhūta-bhaviṣyaṁ pratyakṣaṁ paśyati—praṇamya papraccha: “pitāḥ! sarveṣu yajñeṣu kaḥ yajñaḥ śreṣṭhatamaḥ dṛśyate?”

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను— పరమ బుద్ధిమంతుడైన శుకుడు నిత్యకర్మలు చేసి శుద్ధుడై, నియమిత మనస్సుతో, ఋషులలో శ్రేష్ఠుడైన కృష్ణద్వైపాయన వ్యాసునికి నమస్కరించి అడిగెను— “తండ్రీ! సమస్త యజ్ఞాలలో ఏ యజ్ఞము శ్రేష్ఠమని భావించబడును?”

Word by Word

• ऋषीणाम्: of the sages
• ऋषीणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• उत्तमम्: the best
• उत्तमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• धीमान्: wise, intelligent
• धीमान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृष्णद्वैपायनम्: Krishna-Dvaipayana (Vyasa)
• कृष्णद्वैपायनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णद्वैपायन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शुकः: Shuka
• शुकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभिवाद्य: having saluted
• अभिवाद्य: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√वद्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Active, Non-finite

• आह्विककृतः: having performed the daily rites
• आह्विककृतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आह्विक-कृत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रयतमानसः: with disciplined mind
• प्रयतमानसः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रयत-मानस
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निष्पाप: O sinless one
• निष्पाप: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्पाप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

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

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Śukadeva (Śuka)
• Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana Vyāsa
• nareśa (the king addressed, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira in context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames dharma as something to be approached through disciplined practice (daily rites, purity of mind) and humble inquiry to a qualified teacher; it prepares the ground for evaluating which forms of yajña (sacred duty/sacrifice) are truly ‘highest’ in ethical and spiritual terms.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma tells the king he will recount an ancient episode: Śukadeva, after completing his daily observances, respectfully bows to his father Vyāsa and asks a doctrinal question—among all sacrifices, which is considered the श्रेष्ठतम (highest).