Shloka 9

Devanagari script

मुनिर्वाच धर्मनिश्चयसंयुक्तां कामार्थसहितां कथाम्‌ | शृणुष्वावहितो राजन्‌ गदतो मे महाभुज

Transliteration

munir uvāca dharmaniścayasaṃyuktāṃ kāmārthasahitāṃ kathām | śṛṇuṣvāvahito rājan gadato me mahābhuja ||

Translation

Wika ng pantas: “O makapangyarihang-hari, makinig kang mabuti habang ako’y nagsasalita. Ang salaysay na ito’y nakaugat sa malinaw na paghatol sa dharma, at ganap din sa mga layunin ng artha (kapakinabangang panlupa) at kāma (makatarungang pagnanais).”

Word by Word

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular

• धर्मनिश्चयसंयुक्ताम्: connected with the ascertainment of dharma
• धर्मनिश्चयसंयुक्ताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मनिश्चयसंयुक्ता
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• कामार्थसहिताम्: accompanied by desire and wealth (kama and artha)
• कामार्थसहिताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामार्थसहिता
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• कथाम्: story/discourse
• कथाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• शृणुष्व: listen
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular

• अवहितः: attentive/heedful
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवहित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• गदतः: of (me) speaking / as I speak
• Type: Verb
• Root: गदत्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• मे: my/of me
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• महाभुज: O mighty-armed one
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभुज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• muni (sage)
• rājan (king)
• mahābhuja (mighty-armed one)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames the forthcoming discourse as a balanced instruction: it clarifies dharma through firm discernment (niścaya) while also acknowledging artha and kāma as legitimate human aims when integrated under dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

A sage addresses a king and invites him to listen with full attention, introducing a story/discourse that will guide ethical judgment (dharma) alongside practical and human concerns (artha and kāma).