Shloka 7

Devanagari script

तत्रेतिहासं वक्ष्यामि धर्मस्यास्योपबृंहणम्‌ । दह्यमान: पापकृत्या जगाम जनमेजय:

Transliteration

tatretihāsaṁ vakṣyāmi dharmasyāsyopabṛṁhaṇam | dahyamānaḥ pāpakṛtyā jagāma janamejayaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Nay ta sẽ kể một chuyện xưa để soi sáng thêm cho dharma này. Bị hậu quả của nghiệp ác thiêu đốt, vua Janamejaya đã lên đường (tìm sự giải thoát và sự hiểu biết đúng đắn).”

Word by Word

तत्रthere

इतिहासम्a legend/itihasa (narrative)

वक्ष्यामिI shall tell

धर्मस्यof dharma

अस्यof this

उपबृंहणम्augmentation/illustration (supporting exposition)

दह्यमानःbeing burned/tormented

पापकृत्याby sinful deed(s)

जगामwent

जनमेजयःJanamejaya

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Janamejaya

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is clarified and strengthened through illustrative narratives (itihāsa). Ethical understanding is not only theoretical; it is deepened by seeing how wrongdoing produces inner torment and prompts a search for correction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma announces that he will now tell an instructive ancient account to explain the dharma under discussion. He introduces King Janamejaya as someone distressed by the effects of sinful action, who then goes forth—implying a quest for remedy, counsel, or expiation.