Shloka 24

अध्याय ३२३ — श्वेतद्वीपगमनम्, यज्ञभाग-विवादः, एकान्तिभक्त्या नारायणदर्शन-नियमः (Śvetadvīpa Journey; Dispute over Sacrificial Share; Rule of Nārāyaṇa-vision through Single-minded Devotion)

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेयो हि भगवानेतदाख्यातवान्‌ मम । स देवचरितानीह कथयामास मे सदा

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeyo hi bhagavān etad ākhyātavān mama | sa devacaritānīha kathayāmāsa me sadā ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—ఈ వృత్తాంతాన్ని నాకు స్వయంగా భగవాన్ మార్కండేయుడు వివరించాడు; ఇక్కడ ఆయన నాకు ఎల్లప్పుడూ దేవతల చరిత్రలను, పవిత్ర కథనాలను చెప్పుచుండెను।

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Markandeya (sage)
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• भगवान्: venerable, blessed
• भगवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एतत्: this (matter)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आख्यातवान्: having narrated/told
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या
• Form: क्तवतुँ (past active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मम: to me / of me
• मम: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• देवचरितानि: deeds/acts of the gods
• देवचरितानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवचरित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• कथयामास: he narrated/told
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (कथयति)
• Form: Periphrastic perfect (लिट्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Devas (the gods)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes the authority of dharmic knowledge transmitted through revered sages: sacred understanding is preserved and validated by trustworthy narrators (ṛṣis) who hand down divine and ethical exemplars through continuous teaching.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma identifies his source for the account: the sage Mārkaṇḍeya. He notes that Mārkaṇḍeya repeatedly narrated to him stories of the gods, establishing the background and credibility for the discourse that follows.