Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 15
Devaśarmā–Vipula Dialogue on Ahorātra–Ṛtu as Moral Witnesses (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय ४३)
Devanagari script
इदं तु पुरुषव्याप्र पुरस्ताच्छुतवानहम्
Transliteration
idaṃ tu puruṣavyāpr(a) purastāc chrutavān aham
Translation
Wika ni Bhishma: “Ngunit ito, O taong masikap sa pagsisikap, ay narinig ko na noon (mula sa tradisyong may kapangyarihan).”
Word by Word
इदम्this (statement/teaching)
इदम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootइदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
पुरुषव्याघ्रO tiger among men
पुरुषव्याघ्र:
TypeNoun
Rootपुरुषव्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन
पुरस्तात्formerly/earlier
पुरस्तात्:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुरस्तात्
श्रुतवान्heard (have heard)
श्रुतवान्:
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु (धातु) → श्रुतवत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन, भूतकालार्थ (परिप्रयोगः; क्तवतु-प्रत्यय), प्रथम (वाक्ये अहम्-समन्वयात्)
अहम्I
अहम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formत्रिलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे पुं), प्रथमा, एकवचन
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma grounds his instruction in prior authoritative hearing—implying that dharma is to be learned through reliable tradition and transmitted wisdom, not merely personal opinion.
In the course of advising his listener, Bhīṣma introduces a point by stating that he had already heard this teaching earlier, signaling that what follows is inherited instruction rather than a new invention.