Shloka 3

Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda

Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं पृष्टो नरेन्द्रेण पाण्डवेन यशस्विना । धर्माणां परम॑ गुह्ां भीष्म: प्रोवाच पार्थिवम्‌

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: evaṁ pṛṣṭo narendreṇa pāṇḍavena yaśasvinā | dharmāṇāṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ Bhīṣmaḥ provāca pārthivam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Được vị vua Pāṇḍava lẫy lừng hỏi như thế, Bhīṣma liền bắt đầu tuyên bày với bậc quân vương tinh túy tối thượng và bí mật nhất của dharma—nguyên lý sâu xa dẫn đường cho sự trị quốc và hành xử chính trực.

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaishampayana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• पृष्टः: having been asked
• Type: Verb
• Root: पृच्छ्
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नरेन्द्रेण: by the king (lord of men)
• नरेन्द्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• पाण्डवेन: by the Pandava
• पाण्डवेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• यशस्विना: by the glorious/famed one
• यशस्विना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यशस्विन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• धर्माणाम्: of dharmas / of duties
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• परम्: supreme, highest
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• गुह्यम्: secret (teaching/mystery)
• गुह्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• प्रोवाच: declared, spoke forth
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, प्र

• पार्थिवम्: to the king / the earthly ruler
• पार्थिवम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pāṇḍava (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That dharma has an inner, ‘supreme secret’ dimension—beyond mere rules—worthy of careful transmission from an authoritative elder (Bhīṣma) to a responsible ruler (Yudhiṣṭhira).

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, Yudhiṣṭhira has asked a question, and Bhīṣma begins his response by expounding the deepest principles of dharma to guide the king’s conduct and governance.