Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 13

Viṣṇu-sahasranāma—Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Recitation (विष्णोर्नामसहस्रम्)

Devanagari script

पितामह उवाच अहो धर्मों महाभागे सरहस्य उदाहृत: । वरं ददामि ते धन्ये तपस्ते वर्धतां सदा

Transliteration

pitāmaha uvāca: aho dharmo mahābhāge sa-rahasya udāhṛtaḥ | varaṃ dadāmi te dhanye tapas te vardhatāṃ sadā ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Pitāmaha: “Ah! O marangal na ginang, naipaliwanag mo ang Dharma sa kahanga-hangang paraan, kasama ang lihim nitong kalooban. O pinagpala, ipinagkakaloob ko sa iyo ang isang biyaya—nawa’y patuloy na lumago ang iyong tapas (mahigpit na pag-aayuno at pagsasanay-espirituwal).”

Word by Word

• {'pitāmahaḥ': 'the Grandsire

• an honorific for Bhīṣma in the Mahābhārata', 'uvāca': 'said', 'aho': 'an exclamation of admiration or wonder', 'dharmaḥ': 'righteousness

• the sustaining order', 'mahābhāge': 'O greatly fortunate/noble one (vocative feminine)', 'sa-rahasya': 'with the secret/inner meaning

• together with esoteric import', 'udāhṛtaḥ': 'has been declared/explained

• set forth', 'varam': 'a boon', 'dadāmi': 'I give/grant', 'te': 'to you', 'dhanye': 'O blessed/meritorious one (vocative feminine)', 'tapaḥ': 'austerity

• spiritual heat/effort', 'vardhatām': 'may it increase

• let it grow', 'sadā': 'always'}

Speaker

पितामह उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaha (Bhīṣma)
• Dharma
• Vara (boon)
• Tapas (austerity)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is not merely external conduct; it has an inner ‘rahasya’ (subtle principle). When one articulates and lives that deeper Dharma, it is worthy of honor and spiritual reward, symbolized here by the boon that one’s tapas (disciplined effort) will continually increase.

What is happening in the narrative?

Pitāmaha (Bhīṣma), speaking in the Anuśāsana Parva, praises a noble woman for explaining Dharma along with its hidden import and grants her a boon: that her austerity and spiritual power may keep growing.