Shloka 6

Ajagara-vrata (The ‘Python’ Discipline): Prahrāda Questions a Wandering Sage

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच ततो राजा विममृशे कथं कार्यमिदं भवेत्‌ । कथं वा सुकृतं मे स्यथादिति बुद्धयान्वचिन्तयत्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | tato rājā vimamṛśe kathaṃ kāryam idaṃ bhavet | kathaṃ vā sukṛtaṃ me syāt iti buddhyā anvacintayat |

Translation

Bhishma nói: Bấy giờ nhà vua tự suy ngẫm: “Nay việc này phải tiến hành thế nào? Và làm sao để công đức có thể quy về ta?” Vì vậy, ngài nhiều lần vận dụng trí tuệ, cân nhắc và đắn đo—tìm một đường lối phù hợp với chính pháp và lợi ích công đức, chứ không chỉ nhắm đến thành công đơn thuần.

Word by Word

• {'tataḥ': 'then, thereafter', 'rājā': 'king, ruler', 'vimamṛśe (vi + √mṛś)': 'reflected, deliberated, considered carefully', 'katham': 'how?', 'kāryam': 'what is to be done

• a task, duty, necessary action', 'idam': 'this', 'bhavet': 'may be

• would become (optative sense)', 'vā': 'or

• and also', 'sukṛtam': 'merit, virtuous deed

• religious/ethical credit', 'me': 'for me

• my', 'syāt': 'may be

• might arise (optative)', 'iti': 'thus

• ‘…’ (quotative particle)', 'buddhyā': 'with intellect

• by understanding, discernment', 'anvacintayat (anu + √cint)': 'thought over repeatedly

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (speaker)
• Yudhishthira (addressee, implied by context in the given Hindi gloss)
• Raja (the king, unnamed in this verse)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Before acting, one should deliberate with discernment not only about effectiveness (‘how will this be done?’) but also about ethical consequence (‘how will merit arise for me?’). The verse highlights reflective decision-making as a dharmic discipline.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing something significant, the king turns inward and repeatedly weighs his options—seeking a practical plan of action while also aiming to secure sukṛta (moral/religious merit). Bhishma narrates this reflective pause as part of his instruction to Yudhishthira.