Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अब्रवीद्‌ भरतश्रेष्ठ धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिर: । भ्रातृभि: सह कौरव्य: शयानं निम्नगासुतम्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | abravīd bharataśreṣṭha dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | bhrātṛbhiḥ saha kauravyaḥ śayānaṃ nimnagāsutam || tad-anantaraṃ kuru-nandanaḥ dharma-putraḥ dharmarājaḥ yudhiṣṭhiraḥ brahmaṇā iva samāna-tejasvī ṛtvigbhiḥ bhrātṛbhiḥ tathā ṛṣibhiḥ parivṛtaḥ bāṇa-śayyāyāṃ śayānaṃ bharataśreṣṭhaṃ gaṅgāputraṃ bhīṣmaṃ bhrātṛbhiḥ saha evaṃ uvāca ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Khi ấy Yudhiṣṭhira, vị vua công chính và bậc đứng đầu trong dòng Bharata, cất lời. Được bao quanh bởi các em—cùng các tư tế và hiền triết, rực sáng như Brahmā—Yudhiṣṭhira, niềm vui của nhà Kuru, con của Dharma, tiến đến Bhīṣma, con của sông Gaṅgā, đang nằm trên giường tên, và nói với ngài những lời sau đây.

Word by Word

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भरतश्रेष्ठः: the best of the Bharatas
• भरतश्रेष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत-श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मराजः: the king of dharma (Dharmaraja)
• धर्मराजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म-राज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhishthira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भ्रातृभिः: with (his) brothers
• भ्रातृभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• कौरव्यः: the Kaurava (scion of Kuru line)
• कौरव्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौरव्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शयानम्: lying (down)
• शयानम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: शी
• Form: शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय (Present participle, Ātmanepada sense), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• निम्नगासुतम्: the son of the river (Ganga’s son, Bhishma)
• निम्नगासुतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निम्नगा-सुत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhīṣma
• Gaṅgā
• Kurus (Kauravas/Kuru lineage)
• Bharatas
• brothers of Yudhiṣṭhira (Pāṇḍavas, implied)
• ṛtvijas (priests)
• ṛṣis (sages)
• bāṇa-śayyā (bed of arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets the ethical frame for the discourse: rightful rule and personal conduct (dharma) must be learned humbly from authoritative elders and sages, especially after the devastation of war. Yudhiṣṭhira’s approach to Bhīṣma signals that victory is incomplete without moral clarification and guidance.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the war, Yudhiṣṭhira—attended by his brothers, priests, and sages—goes to Bhīṣma, who lies on an arrow-bed, and begins to address him. This introduces Bhīṣma’s extended instruction on dharma in the Anuśāsana Parva.