Shloka 2

कर्म–ज्ञान–दैव–स्वभावविचारः

Inquiry into Karma, Knowledge, Fate, and Nature

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि पृच्छतो भरतर्षभ । उग्रसेनस्य संवादं नारदे केशवस्य च

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | atra te vartayiṣyāmi pṛcchato bharatarṣabha | ugrasenasyā saṃvādaṃ nārade keśavasya ca ||

Translation

ภีษมะกล่าวว่า “โอ ผู้ประเสริฐแห่งวงศ์ภารตะ เพื่อสนองคำถามของเจ้า เราจักเล่าบทสนทนาระหว่างอุครเสนะกับเกศวะ (พระกฤษณะ) ว่าด้วยนารท”

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अत्र: here; in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Dative, Singular

• वर्तयिष्यामि: I shall narrate / relate
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (वर्तयति)
• Form: Simple Future (Lृट्), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पृच्छतः: of (you) who are asking
• Type: Verb
• Root: पृच्छ्
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• भरतर्षभ: O bull among the Bharatas (best of Bharatas)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत-ऋषभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• उग्रसेनस्य: of Ugrasena
• Type: Noun
• Root: उग्रसेन
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• संवादम्: conversation; dialogue
• संवादम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवाद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नारदे: about/with regard to Narada
• नारदे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• केशवस्य: of Keshava (Krishna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

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

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (Bhīṣma)
• Bharatarshabha (Bharatarṣabha—address to Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Ugrasena (Ugrasena)
• Narada (Nārada)
• Keshava / Krishna (Keśava)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets up a didactic method central to the Shanti Parva: ethical and political insight (dharma and governance) is conveyed through authoritative dialogues. Bhishma signals that the forthcoming exchange—between a king (Ugrasena) and Krishna (Keshava), with Narada as the topic—will serve as guidance prompted by the listener’s inquiry.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma, responding to the question of the Bharata prince (addressed as Bharatarshabha, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira), introduces a new embedded story: he will recount a conversation between Ugrasena and Krishna that arose in connection with Narada.