Shloka 81

बक-गौतमाख्यानम् / The Baka–Gautama Account

On Gratitude and Friendship Ethics

Devanagari script

धुन्धुमारसे काम्बोजने

Transliteration

dhundhumārase kāmbojane, kāmbojase mucukundane, mucukundase maruttane, maruttase raivatane, raivatase yuvanāśvane, yuvanāśvase ikṣvākūvaṁśī raghune, raghuse pratāpī hariṇāśvane, hariṇāśvase śunakane, śunakase dharmātmā uśīnarane, uśīnarase yaduvaṁśī bhojane, yaduvaṁśībhyaḥ śibine, śibise pratardanane, pratardanase aṣṭakane tathā aṣṭakase pṛṣadaśvane sa khaḍgaḥ prāptaḥ || pṛṣadaśvād bharadvājo droṇas tasmāt kṛpas tataḥ | tatas tvaṁ bhrātṛbhiḥ sārthaṁ paramāsim avāptavān ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Bhīṣma: Mula kay Dhundhumāra ay naipasa ito kay Kāmboja; mula kay Kāmboja kay Mucukunda; mula kay Mucukunda kay Marutta; mula kay Marutta kay Raivata; mula kay Raivata kay Yuvanāśva; mula kay Yuvanāśva kay Raghu ng lahing Ikṣvāku; mula kay Raghu sa makapangyarihang Hariṇāśva; mula kay Hariṇāśva kay Śunaka; mula kay Śunaka sa matuwid na si Uśīnara; mula kay Uśīnara kay Bhoja ng lahing Yadu; mula sa mga Yadu kay Śibi; mula kay Śibi kay Pratardana; mula kay Pratardana kay Aṣṭaka; at mula kay Aṣṭaka kay Pṛṣadaśva—kaya natamo ang tabak na iyon (at ang disiplina nitong kalakip). Mula kay Pṛṣadaśva ay nagmula si Bharadvāja; mula sa kanya si Droṇa; mula kay Droṇa si Kṛpa. At pagkatapos, ikaw, kasama ang iyong mga kapatid, ay tumanggap mula kay Kṛpa ng kataas-taasang aral ng tabak.

Word by Word

• पृषदश्वात्: from Pṛṣadaśva
• पृषदश्वात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृषदश्व
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• भरद्वाजः: Bharadvāja
• भरद्वाजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरद्वाज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• द्रोणः: Droṇa
• द्रोणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्मात्: from him/therefrom
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• कृपः: Kṛpa
• कृपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ततः: then/thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भ्रातृभिः: with (your) brothers
• भ्रातृभिः: Saha/Instrumental (associate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सार्थम्: together/along with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्थम्

• परमाम्: supreme, excellent
• परमाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• असिम्: sword
• असिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: असि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अवाप्तवान्: obtained/received
• Type: Verb
• Root: अवाप्
• Form: Periphrastic perfect (लिट्-समास/कृत् प्रयोगः), Third, Singular, Masculine, Nominative

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (Bhīṣma)
• Dhundhumāra
• Kāmboja
• Mucukunda
• Marutta
• Raivata
• Yuvanāśva
• Raghu
• Ikṣvāku lineage (Ikṣvāku-vaṁśa)
• Hariṇāśva
• Śunaka
• Uśīnara
• Bhoja
• Yadu lineage (Yadu-vaṁśa)
• Śibi
• Pratardana
• Aṣṭaka
• Pṛṣadaśva
• Bharadvāja
• Droṇa
• Kṛpa
• the sword (khaḍga/asi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That martial power (symbolized by the sword and its science) is a lineage-transmitted trust. Because it is received through a chain of worthy holders and teachers, it should be used under dharma—requiring restraint, right purpose, and accountability rather than mere prowess.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma recites a succession list showing how the sword/its teaching passed from ancient kings and heroes down to Pṛṣadaśva, then to the Brahmin sages/teachers Bharadvāja and Droṇa, then to Kṛpa, and finally to the addressed prince (with his brothers), who learned the supreme sword-discipline from Kṛpa.