Shloka 4

Śuka’s Nirveda: Vyāsa’s Admonition on Dharma, Impermanence, and ‘Imperishable Wealth’ (अक्षय-धन)

Devanagari script

सत्कृत्य परिपृष्ट: सन्‌ सुमहात्मा महातपा: । निजगाद ततस्तस्मै श्रेयस्करमिदं वच:,सत्कारपूर्वक प्रश्न करनेपर उन महातपस्वी महात्मा मुनिने राजकुमार वसुमानसे यह कल्याणकारी वचन कहा

Transliteration

satkṛtya paripṛṣṭaḥ san sumahātmā mahātapāḥ | nijagāda tatastasmai śreyaskaram idaṃ vacaḥ ||

Translation

సత్కారంతో ప్రశ్నించబడిన ఆ మహాతపస్వి మహాత్మ ముని, రాజకుమారుడు వసుమానునికి శ్రేయస్సును కలిగించే ఈ వాక్యాన్ని పలికాడు.

Word by Word

• सत्कृत्य: having honored / after honoring
• सत्कृत्य: Karma
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्कृ (धातु) / सत्कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• परिपृष्टः: being asked / questioned
• परिपृष्टः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-प्रच्छ् (धातु) / परिपृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सन्: being
• सन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), nominative masculine singular

• सुमहात्मा: very great-souled
• सुमहात्मा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमहात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महातपाः: of great austerity
• महातपाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महातपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निजगाद: said / spoke
• निजगाद: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गद् (धातु) (नि-उपसर्ग)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ततः: then / thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रातिपदिक-निष्पन्न)
• Form: अव्यय

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• श्रेयस्करम्: beneficial / conducive to the good
• श्रेयस्करम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेयस्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वचः: speech / words
• वचः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• a great ascetic sage (unnamed in this verse)
• the questioned recipient (tasmai; contextually a prince, e.g., Vasuman in the Hindi note)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ethical counsel (śreyas) is best received through a proper approach: honouring the teacher, asking sincerely and thoroughly, and then listening to guidance rooted in austerity and moral authority.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma introduces a didactic moment: a great ascetic, after being respectfully welcomed and questioned, begins to deliver beneficial instruction to the inquirer, setting the tone for a dharma-focused discourse.