Shloka 231

अध्याय ३३७ — ज्ञानमार्ग-वैविध्यप्रश्नः तथा व्यासस्य नारायणोद्भवकथा

Systems of Knowledge and Vyāsa’s Nārāyaṇa-Origin

Devanagari script

वयं हि ब्रह्म॒ण: पुत्रा मानसा: परिकीर्तिता: । गता निः:श्रेयसार्थ हि कदाचिद्‌ दिशमुत्तराम्‌

Transliteration

vayaṁ hi brahmaṇaḥ putrā mānasāḥ parikīrtitāḥ | gatā niḥśreyasārthaṁ hi kadācid diśam uttarām ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—మేము బ్రహ్ముని మానసపుత్రులమని ప్రసిద్ధులము. ఒకసారి పరమశ్రేయస్సు, నిఃశ్రేయస సాధనార్థం ఉత్తర దిశ వైపు బయలుదేరితిమి.

Word by Word

वयम्we

हिindeed/for

ब्रह्मणःof Brahman/Brahmā

पुत्राःsons

मानसाःmind-born

परिकीर्तिताःare declared/are said

गताःhaving gone

निःश्रेयसार्थम्for the sake of the highest good

हिindeed/for

कदाचित्once/sometime

दिशम्direction

उत्तराम्northern

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Brahmā

uttarā diś (the northern direction)

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?

True welfare (niḥśreyasa) is presented as the highest aim, worth undertaking a deliberate spiritual journey; noble lineage or status is framed as meaningful when directed toward liberation rather than worldly gain.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma begins a recollection about a group identified as Brahmā’s mind-born sons, describing how they once traveled northward with the intention of attaining the supreme good, setting the stage for a teaching on renunciation and ultimate welfare.