Shloka 3

Gārhasthya-dharma: Vāsudeva–Pṛthivī-saṃvāda

Householder Duties and Daily Offerings

Devanagari script

संस्तुत्य पृथिवीं देवीं वासुदेव: प्रतापवान्‌ । पप्रच्छ भरतश्रेष्ठ मां त्वं यत्‌ पृच्छसे5द्य वै

Transliteration

Saṁstutya pṛthivīṁ devīṁ Vāsudevaḥ pratāpavān | papraccha Bharataśreṣṭha māṁ tvaṁ yat pṛcchase ’dya vai, Bharataśreṣṭha |

Translation

Bhishma nói: “Hỡi bậc ưu tú nhất trong dòng Bharata! Vāsudeva đầy uy lực—sau khi tán dương Nữ thần Đất—đã từng hỏi chính điều mà hôm nay ngươi hỏi ta.”

Word by Word

• संस्तुत्य: having praised
• संस्तुत्य: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: सं-स्तु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• पृथिवीम्: the Earth
• पृथिवीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• देवीम्: the goddess
• देवीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• वासुदेवः: Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• वासुदेवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रतापवान्: mighty, valorous
• प्रतापवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतापवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-छ् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भरतश्रेष्ठ: O best of the Bharatas
• भरतश्रेष्ठ: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत-श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• यत्: what (that which)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पृच्छसे: you ask
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 2nd, Singular, Ātmanepada

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य
• Form: true

• वै: indeed, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै
• Form: true

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Pṛthivī-devī (Goddess Earth)
• Bharataśreṣṭha (address to Yudhiṣṭhira)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse legitimizes the present dharmic question by linking it to an earlier, exemplary inquiry made by Vāsudeva after honoring Pṛthivī-devī. It frames ethical instruction as arising from reverence (stuti) and responsible questioning, not mere debate.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, speaking to Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as Bharataśreṣṭha), says that Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva) once praised the Earth-goddess and asked her the same matter that Yudhiṣṭhira is now asking Bhīṣma, thereby setting a precedent for the discussion.