Shloka 6

Adhyāya 223: Nāradasya Guṇa-kathana

Catalogue of Nārada’s Virtues

Devanagari script

स एव हाुस्तमयते स सम विद्योतते दिश:

Transliteration

sa eva hāstamayate sa samaṁ vidyotate diśaḥ | sa eva yathāsamayaṁ ālasyaṁ chittvā samantād diśaḥ prakāśayati, sa evāstam eti sa eva varṣati | brahman! taṁ baliṁ ahaṁ mṛgayamāṇo ’pi na paśyāmi | tvaṁ me rājānaṁ balikaṁ ācakṣva ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—అతడే అస్తమిస్తాడు; అతడే సమంగా ప్రకాశించి దిశలను వెలిగిస్తాడు. అతడే కాలానుగుణంగా వర్షాన్ని కురిపిస్తాడు. ఓ బ్రహ్మన్! ఆ బలిని నేను వెతికినా కనుగొనలేకున్నాను; రాజు బలి ఎక్కడున్నాడో నాకు చెప్పుము.

Word by Word

• सः: he/that (person)
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• हि: for/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• अस्तम्: to setting (west); down
• अस्तम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अस्तम्

• एति: goes
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सः: he/that (same one)
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सम्यक्: properly/fully
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक्

• विद्योतते: shines/illumines
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्युत् (√द्युत्)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• दिशः: directions/quarters
• दिशः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Brahman (unnamed interlocutor)
• Bali
• King Balika
• the directions/quarters (diśaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames righteous kingship as harmonizing with cosmic order: timely action, removal of laziness, and beneficent governance that ‘illumines the quarters’ and brings seasonal prosperity (symbolized by rain). It implies that a true ruler’s dharma is energetic, timely, and life-sustaining.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma describes an exemplary figure associated with regular, sun-like and rain-giving functions—suggesting an ideal sovereign whose conduct sustains the world. He then tells a Brahman that despite searching he cannot find that Bali, and asks the Brahman to identify or point out King Balika.