Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तपःस्वाध्यायनिरत: सत्य: सज्जनसम्मत: । न्यायप्राप्तेन वित्तेन स्वेन शीलेन चान्वित:

Transliteration

tapaḥsvādhyāyanirataḥ satyaḥ sajjanasammataḥ | nyāyaprāptena vittena svena śīlena cānvitaḥ ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—అతడు తపస్సు, స్వాధ్యాయములలో నిమగ్నుడై, సత్యవాది, సజ్జనులచే సమ్మతుడై యుండెను. న్యాయమార్గమున సంపాదించిన ధనముతోను, తన స్వకీయ శ్రేష్ఠ శీలముతోను సమన్వితుడై యుండెను.

Word by Word

• तपःस्वाध्यायनिरतः: devoted to austerity and self-study
• तपःस्वाध्यायनिरतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस्-स्वाध्याय-निरत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यः: truthful
• सत्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सज्जनसम्मतः: approved/esteemed by good people
• सज्जनसम्मतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सज्जन-सम्मत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न्यायप्राप्तेन: obtained by lawful means
• न्यायप्राप्तेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न्याय-प्राप्त
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• वित्तेन: with wealth
• वित्तेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• स्वेन: with his own
• स्वेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• शीलेन: with conduct/character
• शीलेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शील
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अन्वितः: endowed (with)
• अन्वितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (भीष्म)
• a virtuous man (implied subject of the verse)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True excellence is marked by disciplined practice (tapas), Vedic self-study (svādhyāya), truthfulness (satya), social esteem among the virtuous (sajjana-sammata), and wealth earned through just means (nyāya-prāpta vitta), all grounded in personal character (śīla).

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is describing the qualities of a model person (in context, a Brahmin of exemplary life), highlighting his spiritual disciplines, moral integrity, and righteous livelihood as part of a larger instructive account in the Shanti Parva.