Shloka 4

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्‌ । यथा मृत्युर्गहस्थेन धर्ममाश्रित्य निर्जित:,भीष्मजीने कहा--राजन्‌! एक गृहस्थने जिस प्रकार धर्मका आश्रय लेकर मृत्युपर विजय पायी थी, उसके विषयमें एक प्राचीन इतिहासका उदाहरण दिया जाता है

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam | yathā mṛtyur gṛhasthena dharmam āśritya nirjitaḥ |

Translation

بھیشم نے کہا— اے راجن! یہاں بھی ایک قدیم تاریخ کی مثال بیان کی جاتی ہے کہ کس طرح ایک گِرہستھ نے دھرم کا سہارا لے کر موت پر فتح پائی۔

Word by Word

भीष्मःBhishma

उवाचsaid

अत्रhere, in this context

अपिalso

उदाहरन्तिthey cite, they relate (as an example)

इमम्this

इतिहासम्story, historical account

पुरातनम्ancient

यथाhow, in what manner; as

मृत्युःdeath

गृहस्थेनby a householder

धर्मम्dharma, righteousness

आश्रित्यhaving resorted to, relying on

निर्जितःconquered, overcome

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Death (Mṛtyu)

a householder (gṛhastha)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma, when sincerely relied upon and practiced, is presented as a power that can overcome even the fear and inevitability of death—at least in the sense of moral victory and spiritual mastery.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma introduces an old illustrative story (itihāsa) to support his instruction: he will recount how a certain householder, by taking refuge in dharma, achieved victory over Death.