Shloka 18

Kṛṣṇa’s Dhyāna and the Prompt to Question Bhīṣma (कृष्णध्यानं भीष्मप्रश्नप्रेरणा च)

Devanagari script

रामस्य दयितं शिष्यं जामदग्न्यस्य पाण्डव | आधार ं सर्वविद्यानां तमस्मि मनसा गत:,पाण्डुकुमार! जो जमदग्निनन्दन परशुरामजीके प्रिय शिष्य तथा सम्पूर्ण विद्याओंके आधार हैं, उन्हीं भीष्मजीका मैं मन-ही-मन चिन्तन करता था

Transliteration

rāmasya dayitaṁ śiṣyaṁ jāmadagnyasya pāṇḍava | ādhāraṁ sarvavidyānāṁ tam asmi manasā gataḥ ||

Translation

ఓ పాండవా, జమదగ్నినందనుడైన రాముడు (పరశురాముడు) యొక్క ప్రియ శిష్యుడూ, సమస్త విద్యలకు ఆధారభూతుడైన ఆ భీష్ముని నేను మనసులో ధ్యానించితిని.

Word by Word

रामस्यof Rama

दयितम्beloved (dear)

शिष्यम्disciple

जामदग्न्यस्यof Jamadagni’s son (Parashurama)

पाण्डवO Pandava

आधारम्support, foundation

सर्वविद्यानाम्of all sciences/knowledges

तम्him

अस्मिI am

मनसाwith the mind, mentally

गतःgone; having resorted to

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

Pāṇḍava (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Rāma (Paraśurāma)

Jamadagni

Bhīṣma

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?

The verse highlights reverent recollection of an exemplary figure (Bhīṣma) as a ‘foundation of all disciplines,’ implying that true authority in dharma and governance rests on disciplined learning, mastery guided by a teacher, and ethical seriousness—especially for those connected with power and warfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāsudeva addresses a Pāṇḍava (Yudhiṣṭhira) and says that he was mentally contemplating Bhīṣma—described as Paraśurāma’s beloved disciple and a support of all knowledge—situating Bhīṣma as a central authority whose life and instruction are worth inward reflection in the Śānti Parva’s post-war ethical discourse.