Shloka 2

गोशकृन्माहात्म्य-प्रश्नः (On the Merit of Cow-Dung and the Abode of Śrī) / Inquiry into the Sanctity of Cow-Dung

Devanagari script

सर्वलोकचरं सिद्ध ब्रह्यकोशं सनातनम्‌ । पुरोहितमभिप्रष्टमभिवाद्योपचक्रमे

Transliteration

sarvalokacaraṁ siddha brahmakōśaṁ sanātanam | purohitam abhipraṣṭam abhivādya upacakrame ||

Translation

Bhīṣma thưa: “Tâu Đại vương, có lần vua Saudāsa—thuộc dòng Ikṣvāku, nổi danh trong hàng diễn thuyết—đến gặp hiền thánh Vasiṣṭha, vị tế sư của hoàng tộc: bậc thành tựu và vĩnh cửu, kho tàng minh triết Veda, người tự tại du hành khắp các cõi. Sau khi cúi đầu đảnh lễ, Saudāsa bắt đầu thưa hỏi như sau.”

Word by Word

• सर्वलोकचरम्: moving in all worlds
• सर्वलोकचरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वलोकचर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सिद्धम्: accomplished, perfected
• सिद्धम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ब्रह्मकोशम्: treasury/storehouse of sacred knowledge (brahman)
• ब्रह्मकोशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मकोश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सनातनम्: eternal, ancient
• सनातनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पुरोहितम्: family priest
• पुरोहितम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोहित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अभिप्रष्टम्: to question / in order to ask
• अभिप्रष्टम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-प्रच्छ्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, Tumun (infinitive) used as verbal noun/goal sense

• अभिवाद्य: having saluted
• अभिवाद्य: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-वाद्
• Form: Lyap (absolutive/gerund)

• उपचक्रमे: began, commenced
• उपचक्रमे: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-क्रम्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Saudāsa (Ikṣvāku king)
• Vasiṣṭha
• purohita (office of royal priest)
• brahma-kośa (treasury of Vedic knowledge)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the ethical protocol of learning: a ruler seeking guidance should approach a realized teacher (purohita/ṛṣi) with humility and reverence, and then inquire. Right questioning, preceded by respect, is presented as the proper doorway to dharma and wise governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma begins a past episode: King Saudāsa of the Ikshvaku line approaches his priest-sage Vasiṣṭha, salutes him, and starts asking questions—setting up a didactic dialogue on conduct and duty.