Shloka 48

Viśvāmitra-janma: Ṛcīka–Satyavatī–Gādhi and the Charu Exchange (विश्वामित्र-जन्म: ऋचीक–सत्यवती–गाधि वृत्तान्तः)

Devanagari script

राजेन्द्र! उन्हीं ब्रह्मर्षिकि कृपा-प्रसादसे गाधिकी यशस्विनी पत्नीने ब्रह्मवादी विश्वामित्रको उत्पन्न किया ।।

Transliteration

rājendra! brahmarṣi-kṛpā-prasādāt gādhikī yaśasvinī patnī brahmavādinam viśvāmitram ajījanat. tato brāhmaṇatāṃ yāto viśvāmitro mahātapāḥ | kṣatriyaḥ san api tathā brahmavaṃśasya kārakaḥ ||

Translation

Wika ni Bhishma: “O panginoon ng mga hari, sa mapagpalang biyaya ng mga brahmarṣi, ang tanyag na asawa ni Gādhi ay nagsilang kay Viśvāmitra, ang nakaaalam at nagpapahayag ng Brahman. Pagkaraan, si Viśvāmitra—ang dakilang asceta—bagaman isinilang na kṣatriya, ay nagkamit ng katayuang brahmana at naging tagapagtatag ng isang lahing brahmana. Kaya itinatampok ng salaysay na ito na ang espirituwal na pagtatamo at wastong asal ay makapag-aangat sa tao lampas sa pagkakakilanlang ibinibigay ng kapanganakan.”

Word by Word

• {'rājendra': 'O best of kings (address to the king)', 'brahmarṣi': 'Brahmarishi

• a seer of the highest order', 'kṛpā-prasāda': 'grace and favor

• benevolent blessing', 'gādhikī': 'wife/daughter connected with Gādhi (patronymic/identifier)', 'yaśasvinī': 'illustrious, renowned', 'patnī': 'wife', 'brahmavādin': 'one who speaks/teaches Brahman

• a theologian/knower of sacred truth', 'viśvāmitra': 'Vishvamitra (name of the sage)', 'ajījanat': 'gave birth to

• produced', 'tataḥ': 'then

• thereafter', 'brāhmaṇatā': 'Brahminhood

• Brahmin status/quality', 'yātaḥ': 'attained

• went to', 'mahātapāḥ': 'great in austerity

• great ascetic', 'kṣatriyaḥ': 'Kshatriya (warrior/royal class)', 'san api': 'even though being', 'brahmavaṃśa': 'Brahmin lineage

• Brahmanical line', 'kāraka': 'maker, founder, originator'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Vishvamitra
• Gadhi (Gādhi)
• Brahmarishis
• Kshatriya
• Brahmin lineage (brahmavaṃśa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes that spiritual status (brāhmaṇatā) can be attained through tapas, knowledge, and divine/saintly grace, suggesting that ethical and spiritual achievement may transcend birth-based identity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma tells the king that Gadhi’s illustrious wife, aided by the grace of Brahmarishis, gave birth to Vishvamitra; later Vishvamitra, though a Kshatriya by birth, attained Brahminhood and became an originator of a Brahmin lineage.