Shloka 17

Gautama–Yama Saṃvāda: Mātṛ-Pitṛ-Ṛṇa (Debt to Parents) and Śubha-Loka Attainment

Devanagari script

यदि गुह्ां न वो नित्य॑ तदा प्रब्रूत मा चिरम्‌ न गुहां श्रोतुमिच्छामि युष्मद्भ्यो द्विजसत्तमा:

Transliteration

yadi guhyaṁ na vo nityaṁ tadā prabrūta mā ciram | na guhyaṁ śrotum icchāmi yuṣmadbhyo dvijasattamāḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Nếu điều này không phải là bí mật cần giữ mãi giữa các ngài, thì xin hãy nói ngay, chớ chậm trễ. Hỡi những bậc Bà-la-môn tối thượng, những vị ‘lưỡng sinh’ cao quý! Ta không muốn nghe từ các ngài bất cứ điều gì đáng phải được giữ như một huyền cơ kín nhiệm.”

Word by Word

• {'yadi': 'if', 'guhyam': 'secret, confidential matter

• esoteric teaching', 'na': 'not', 'vaḥ (vo)': 'of you, to you (plural)', 'nityam': 'always, perpetually', 'tadā': 'then', 'prabrūta': 'tell, declare (imperative, plural)', 'mā': 'do not (prohibitive) / here: ‘do not (delay)’ with ciram', 'ciram': 'for long

• delay', 'śrotum': 'to hear', 'icchāmi': 'I wish, I desire', 'yuṣmadbhyaḥ': 'from you (plural, ablative)', 'dvijasattamāḥ': 'O best of the twice-born (address to eminent brāhmaṇas/sages)'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• dvijasattamāḥ (brahmin sages)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma sets an ethical boundary for instruction: teachings should be shared openly only when appropriate; he refuses to receive knowledge that is meant to remain confidential, emphasizing responsible transmission of doctrine.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Bhīṣma addresses learned brāhmaṇas/sages and urges them to speak promptly—provided the matter is not a guarded secret—indicating his concern for propriety in hearing and teaching.