Shloka 20

धर्मस्य बहुद्वारत्वम् — Nārada’s Audience with Indra (Śānti-parva 340)

Devanagari script

सिद्धा होते महाभागा: पुरा होकान्तिनो5भवन्‌ | तमोरजोभिरननिमिुक्ता मां प्रवेक्ष्यन्त्यसंशयम्‌,“यहाँ निवास करनेवाले ये सभी महाभाग सिद्ध हो चुके हैं। ये पहले भी मेरे अनन्य भक्त रहे हैं। ये तमोगुण और रजोगुणसे मुक्त हैं; अतः निःसंदेह मुझमें ही प्रवेश करेंगे

Transliteration

siddhā hote mahābhāgāḥ purā hy ekāntino 'bhavan | tamo-rajobhir anirmuktā māṁ pravekṣyanty asaṁśayam ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—ఇక్కడ నివసించే ఈ మహాభాగులు ఇప్పటికే సిద్ధులయ్యారు. పూర్వకాలంలోనూ వీరు నా ఏకాంత భక్తులే. తమస్, రజస్‌లకు అంటుకోకుండా నిస్సందేహంగా నాలోనే లీనమగుదురు.

Word by Word

सिद्धाःaccomplished, perfected

होतेare / become

महाभागाःgreatly fortunate ones

पुराformerly, earlier

चand

अकान्तिनःnot desiring (anything else), without other longing

अभवन्were, became

तमःby tamas (darkness/ignorance quality)

रजःby rajas (passion/activity quality)

भिःwith/by (instrumental plural ending)

अननिमुक्ताःnot released (i.e., not freed) (as written in the text)

माम्me

प्रवेक्ष्यन्तिwill enter

असंशयम्without doubt, certainly

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

mahābhāgāḥ (blessed perfected beings)

mām (the Supreme/Divine ‘Me’)

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?

Single-pointed devotion and purification from the guṇas—especially tamas and rajas—lead the perfected to certain union with the Supreme; liberation is presented as assured for those who are steadfast and purified.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, while instructing on dharma and liberation themes in Śānti Parva, describes a group of blessed perfected residents as long-standing exclusive devotees who, being free from tamas and rajas, will certainly attain entry into the Divine.