Shloka 17

Arjuna’s request to Krishna and the opening of the Kāśyapa–Brāhmaṇa mokṣa discourse (Āśvamedhika-parva 16)

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण उवाच मोक्षधर्म समाश्रित्य कृष्ण यन्मामपृच्छथा: । भूतानामनुकम्पार्थ यन्मोहच्छेदनं विभो

Transliteration

brāhmaṇa uvāca: mokṣadharma-samāśritya kṛṣṇa yan mām apṛcchathāḥ | bhūtānām anukampārthaṃ yan moha-cchedanaṃ vibho ||

Translation

Vị Bà-la-môn nói: “Hỡi Krishna, hỡi Madhusūdana! Vì lòng thương xót muôn loài, nhằm chặt đứt mê lầm, ngài đã hỏi ta câu hỏi thuộc về pháp giải thoát. Hỡi bậc đại lực, ta sẽ đáp đúng như thật. Hỡi Chúa tể, hỡi Mādhava, hãy lắng nghe lời ta cho chăm chú.”

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणः: the Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• मोक्षधर्मम्: the doctrine of liberation
• मोक्षधर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्षधर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• समाश्रित्य: having resorted to / based on
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-श्रि
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), Parasmaipada (usage)

• कृष्ण: O Krishna
• कृष्ण: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• अपृच्छथाः: you asked
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Second, Singular

• भूतानाम्: of beings
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• अनुकम्पार्थम्: for the sake of compassion
• अनुकम्पार्थम्: Prayojana (Karma-arthaka)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुकम्पा-अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मोहच्छेदनम्: cutting of delusion
• मोहच्छेदनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह-च्छेदन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विभो: O mighty one
• विभो: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• ब्राह्मण (Brāhmaṇa)
• कृष्ण (Kṛṣṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames mokṣa-dharma as compassionate instruction: true spiritual teaching aims to remove moha (delusion) for the welfare of all beings, and it should be given carefully and accurately.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brahmin respondent addresses Krishna, acknowledging Krishna’s question as rooted in the path of liberation and motivated by compassion; the Brahmin then prepares to deliver a faithful, attentive explanation.