Shloka 2

अध्याय २०८ — इन्द्रियनिग्रहः, सत्याहिंसात्मकवाक्, कर्मफलविवेकः

Restraint of the Senses, Non-harming Truthful Speech, and Discernment of Karmic Consequence

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच श्रूयतां भरतश्रेष्ठ यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि । प्रजानां पतयो ये5स्मिन्‌ दिक्षु ये चर्षय: स्मृता:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca

śrūyatāṁ bharataśreṣṭha yan māṁ tvaṁ paripṛcchasi |

prajānāṁ patayo ye 'smin dikṣu ye cārṣayaḥ smṛtāḥ ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—భరతశ్రేష్ఠా, నీవు నన్ను అడిగినది వినుము. ఈ లోకములో ప్రజలకు అధిపతులైన ప్రజాపతులు ఎవరో, అలాగే వివిధ దిక్కులలో అధిష్ఠాతలుగా సంప్రదాయంగా స్మరింపబడే ఋషులు ఎవరో—వారందరినీ నేను వివరించెదను.

Word by Word

• {'śrūyatām': 'let it be heard

• listen (imperative/passive form)', 'bharataśreṣṭha': 'O best of the Bharatas (honorific address, typically to Yudhiṣṭhira)', 'yat': 'that which', 'mām': 'me', 'tvam': 'you', 'paripṛcchasi': 'you ask, inquire fully', 'prajānām': 'of creatures/subjects

• of beings', 'patayaḥ': 'lords, masters

• protectors/governors', 'ye': 'who', 'asmin': 'in this (world/context)', 'dikṣu': 'in the directions (quarters)', 'ṛṣayaḥ': 'seers, sages', 'smṛtāḥ': 'remembered, traditionally regarded/recorded'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Bharataśreṣṭha (address to Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Prajāpati (class of progenitors)
• Ṛṣayaḥ (sages)
• Dik (the directions/quarters)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma frames his reply as an authoritative, tradition-based account: knowledge of cosmic and social order (Prajapatis and direction-associated sages) is to be received through attentive listening and careful inquiry, supporting dharma by grounding governance and conduct in remembered tradition.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva instruction sequence, Yudhiṣṭhira has asked Bhishma about the Prajapatis and the sages associated with the various directions. Bhishma begins his response, asking him to listen as he enumerates and explains them.