Shloka 3

अहिंसा-आत्मौपम्य-उपदेशः | Instruction on Ahiṃsā and Self-Comparison Ethics

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच मार्गशीर्षस्य मासस्य चन्द्रे मूलेन संयुते । पादौ मूलेन राजेन्द्र जड्धायामथ रोहिणीम्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca mārgaśīrṣasya māsasya candre mūlena saṃyute | pādau mūlena rājendra jaḍḍhāyām atha rohiṇīm |

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Tâu đại vương, vào tháng Mārgaśīrṣa, khi Mặt Trăng hợp với tú Mūla, nên khởi sự pháp trì giới (vrata) của Mặt Trăng. Khi quán tưởng hình tướng của Mặt Trăng, hãy tưởng hai bàn chân của Ngài thuộc về Mūla (cùng các thần linh), rồi an đặt Rohiṇī nơi bắp chân.”

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मार्गशीर्षस्य: of (the month) Mārgaśīrṣa
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गशीर्ष
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• मासस्य: of the month
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• चन्द्रे: when/with the moon (being)
• चन्द्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• मूलेन: with (the nakshatra) Mūla
• मूलेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• संयुते: joined/associated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-युज्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Locative, Singular

• पादौ: the two feet
• पादौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• मूलेन: by/with Mūla
• मूलेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• जड्धायाम्: in the shank/calf
• जड्धायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जङ्घा
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• अथ: then/and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• रोहिणीम्: Rohiṇī (nakshatra)
• रोहिणीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोहिणी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• rājendra (Yudhiṣṭhira, implied addressee)
• Mārgaśīrṣa (month)
• Candra (Moon)
• Mūla (nakṣatra)
• Rohiṇī (nakṣatra)
• devatāḥ (deities, implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches disciplined devotion through correct timing (Moon conjoined with Mūla) and structured visualization of the deity (mapping nakṣatras onto the Moon’s limbs), presenting dharma as practice that unites calendar-knowledge, vow-taking, and contemplative focus.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma instructs the king on how to begin a Chandra-related observance in Mārgaśīrṣa: when the Moon is in Mūla, the practitioner should start the vow and meditate on the Moon’s form, assigning Mūla to the feet and Rohiṇī to the calves as part of the ritual visualization.