Shloka 3

Devanagari script

सुरारिनिलय: शश्चृत्सागर: सरिताम्पतिः । पप्रच्छ सरित: सर्वा: संशयं जातमात्मन:,एक समयकी बात है, दैत्योंके निवासस्थान और सरिताओंके स्वामी समुद्रने सम्पूर्ण नदियोंसे अपने मनका एक संदेह पूछा

Transliteration

surārinilayaḥ śaśvatsāgaraḥ saritāṃ patiḥ | papraccha saritaḥ sarvāḥ saṃśayaṃ jātam ātmanaḥ ||

Translation

ایک بار دیوتاؤں کے دشمن دَیتّیوں کا مسکن اور دریاؤں کا مالک، ہمیشہ قائم رہنے والا سمندر، اپنے دل میں پیدا ہونے والے شک کو دور کرنے کے لیے تمام دریاؤں سے پوچھنے لگا۔

Word by Word

सुरारिनिलयःthe abode of the enemies of the gods (i.e., of the Daityas)

शश्वत्always, perpetually

सागरःthe ocean

सरिताम्of rivers

पतिःlord, master

पप्रच्छasked

सरितःthe rivers

सर्वाःall

संशयम्a doubt

जातम्arisen, born

आत्मनःof himself / in his mind

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Ocean (Sāgara)

Rivers (Saritaḥ)

Daityas/Asuras (implied by surāri)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic inquiry: when doubt arises, even a powerful figure seeks clarification from appropriate sources. Ethical understanding is presented as something to be questioned and refined, not assumed.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma introduces an episode in which the Ocean, described as the lord of rivers and the dwelling of the gods’ foes, gathers all rivers and asks them a question to resolve a personal doubt.