Shloka 37

Droṇa–Vidura–Gāndhārī Counsel in the Royal Assembly (धर्मार्थयुक्ता सभा-उपदेश-प्रकरणम्)

Devanagari script

अयाचं भ्रातृदारेषु तदा व्यासं महामुनिम्‌ | सह मात्रा महाराज प्रसाद्य तमृषिं तदा

Transliteration

ayācaṁ bhrātṛdāreṣu tadā vyāsaṁ mahāmunim | saha mātrā mahārāja prasādya tam ṛṣiṁ tadā ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—అప్పుడు, మహారాజా! తల్లితో కలిసి నేను మహాముని వ్యాసుని వేడుకొంటిని. ఆ ఋషిని ప్రసన్నం చేసి, నా సోదరుని భార్యలలో పుత్రోత్పత్తి చేయుమని ఆయనను అభ్యర్థించితిని. భరతవంశభూషణా! మహర్షి కరుణతో ఆ స్త్రీల ద్వారా ముగ్గురు పుత్రులను జనింపజేసెను.

Word by Word

• अयाचम्: I requested/begged
• अयाचम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: याच्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भ्रातृदारेषु: among/with respect to the brother’s wives
• भ्रातृदारेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृदार
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• व्यासम्: Vyāsa
• व्यासम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महामुनिम्: the great sage
• महामुनिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सह: together with
• सह: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• मात्रा: with (my) mother
• मात्रा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रसाद्य: having propitiated/pleased
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रसादय्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ऋषिम्: the sage
• ऋषिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Vyasa (Krishna Dvaipayana)
• Bhishma's mother (Ganga, implied by 'mātrā')
• the brother's wives/widows (Ambika and Ambalika; also the maid/servant in the broader episode)
• the King addressed (Dhritarashtra, in context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights a dharmic priority in royal life: preserving the lineage and stability of the kingdom through sanctioned means (niyoga), carried out with consent-seeking, restraint, and reverence toward spiritual authority.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma recounts how he persuaded his mother and others, then approached the sage Vyasa and requested him to father children with his deceased brother’s widows, resulting (in the wider episode) in the birth of three sons who continue the Kuru line.