Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अयं पितरमाज्ञाय कामार्त शान्तनुं पुरा । ऊर्ध्वरेतसमात्मानं चकार पुरुषर्षभ:,“इन्हीं पुरुषसिंहने पूर्वकालमें अपने पिता शान्तनुको कामासक्त जानकर अपने- आपको ऊउर्ध्वरेता (नैष्ठिक ब्रह्मचारी) बना लिया”

Transliteration

ayaṁ pitaram ājñāya kāmārtaṁ śāntanuṁ purā | ūrdhvaretasam ātmānaṁ cakāra puruṣarṣabhaḥ ||

Translation

పూర్వకాలంలో తన తండ్రి శాంతనువు కామార్తుడని గ్రహించిన ఆ పురుషసింహుడు తనను తాను ఊర్ధ్వరేతసుడిగా—నైష్ఠిక బ్రహ్మచారిగా—చేసుకున్నాడు।

Word by Word

अयम्this (man)

पितरम्father

आज्ञायhaving known/understood

कामार्तम्afflicted by desire

शान्तनुम्Śāntanu

पुराformerly/once

ऊर्ध्वरेतसम्one of restrained semen; a strict celibate

आत्मानम्himself

चकारmade (became)

पुरुषर्षभःbull among men; best of men

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Shantanu

Bhishma (Devavrata)

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 highlights ethical self-mastery: a noble person may renounce personal gratification to uphold duty—here, honoring a father’s situation and protecting the larger order (dharma) through disciplined continence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya recalls an earlier episode: Devavrata (later famed as Bhīṣma), seeing King Śāntanu overwhelmed by desire, resolves to become ūrdhvaretas—embracing lifelong celibacy as a decisive vow.