Shloka 40

Devanagari script

(४230५ 4७६ 2“ ५. यदि वो«नुग्रहकृता बुद्धिर्मा प्रति सत्तमा: । प्रत्रूत पावनं कि मे भवेदिति तपोधना:,'साधुशिरोमणे! तपोधनो! यदि आपलोग मुझपर अनुग्रह करना चाहते हों तो बतायें, मुझे पवित्र करनेवाला साधन क्या है?”

Transliteration

Bhīṣma uvāca: yadi vo 'nugrahakṛtā buddhir mā prati sattamāḥ | brūta pāvanaṁ kiṁ me bhaved iti tapodhanāḥ ||

Translation

بھیشم نے کہا—“اے نیکوں میں برتر! اے ریاضت کے دولت مند زاہدوں! اگر تم واقعی مجھ پر عنایت کرنا چاہتے ہو تو بتاؤ—میرے لیے تطہیر کا ذریعہ کیا ہوگا؟”

Word by Word

यदिif

वःof you / your

अनुग्रहकृताdone out of favor; favor-bestowing

बुद्धिःintention; resolve; thought

माnot (prohibitive)

प्रतिtowards; against; with regard to

सत्तमाःO best of the good (noble ones)

प्रब्रूतtell; speak (to me)

पावनम्purifying (thing/means)

किम्what?

मेto me / for me

भवेत्might be; would be

इतिthus; saying

तपोधनाःO ascetics rich in austerity

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

tapodhanāḥ (ascetics)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even a great figure like Bhishma seeks ethical and spiritual purification through the counsel of the virtuous; humility and the desire to be purified are presented as prerequisites for right conduct (dharma).

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma addresses revered ascetics, requesting that—if they wish to show him grace—they should instruct him on what practice or means would purify him.