Shloka 121

Devanagari script

भरतानां च ये पूर्वे ते चैनं प्रशशंसिरे । महोपनिषदं चैव योगमास्थाय वीर्यवान्‌

Transliteration

bharatānāṁ ca ye pūrve te cainaṁ praśaśaṁsire | mahopaniṣadaṁ caiva yogam āsthāya vīryavān ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Các bậc tổ tiên đời trước của dòng Bharata cũng ca ngợi ông. Vị anh hùng hùng mạnh ấy, nương tựa vào Yoga—tinh túy của các đại Upaniṣad—vẫn kiên định trong kỷ luật nội tâm; đáng được tôn kính vì ý chí tâm linh làm vương miện cho một đời phụng sự bổn phận, ngay giữa cảnh tàn phá của chiến tranh.

Word by Word

• भरतानाम्: of the Bharatas
• भरतानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• ये: who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पूर्वे: former, earlier (ones)
• पूर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (एतद्-प्रत्ययः, एनद्-रूपम्)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रशशंसिरे: praised
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural, Ātmanepada

• महोपनिषदम्: the great Upaniṣad (i.e., supreme secret doctrine)
• महोपनिषदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महोपनिषद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• योगम्: yoga, discipline
• योगम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आस्थाय: having resorted to, having undertaken
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था
• Form: Gerund (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), Parasmaipada/Ātmanepada-neutral (absolutive)

• वीर्यवान्: possessed of valor
• वीर्यवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीर्यवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Bharata lineage (Bharatāḥ)
• Upaniṣads
• Yoga

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True greatness is not only martial valor but also inner mastery: the verse highlights Bhīṣma as one who, beyond worldly duty, takes refuge in Upaniṣadic yoga—spiritual discipline grounded in the highest wisdom.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Bhīṣma’s stature: even the ancient forebears of the Bharata line praised him, and he is portrayed as a mighty figure established in profound yogic discipline associated with the Upaniṣads.