Shloka 9

निर्वेदोपदेशः (Nirveda-Upadeśa) — Maṅki’s Dispassion and the Limits of Wealth-Seeking

Devanagari script

अथोपविष्टं शयने गौतमं धर्मराट्‌ तदा । पप्रच्छ काश्यपो वाग्मी किमागमनकारणम्‌,धर्मराज! जब गौतम उस बिछौनेपर बैठा तब बात-चीतमें कुशल कश्यपकुमारने पूछा --“ब्रह्मम! आप इधर किसलिये आये हैं?

Transliteration

athopaviṣṭaṃ śayane gautamaṃ dharmarāṭ tadā | papraccha kāśyapo vāgmī kimāgamanakāraṇam, dharmarāja ||

Translation

ข้าแต่ธรรมราช! ครั้นโคตมะนั่งลงบนที่บรรทมนั้นแล้ว กาศยปผู้วาจาไพเราะจึงถามว่า “ข้าแต่พราหมณ์ ท่านมาที่นี่ด้วยเหตุอันใด?”

Word by Word

अथthen

उपविष्टम्seated

शयनेon the bed

गौतमम्Gautama

धर्मराट्the king of dharma (Yudhishthira)

तदाat that time

पप्रच्छasked

काश्यपःKashyapa

वाग्मीeloquent

किम्what

आगमनकारणम्the reason for (your) coming

धर्मराजO king of dharma

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Gautama

Dharma-rāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Kāśyapa

śayana (couch/bed)

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 that dharma begins with examining intention: before judging an act, one asks its kāraṇa (motive). Respectful questioning and clarity of purpose are presented as ethical foundations.

What is happening in the narrative?

Gautama is seated on a couch, and the eloquent sage Kāśyapa addresses the righteous king (Dharmarāja), asking why he has come—setting up a dialogue where the reason for the visit will guide the ensuing instruction.