Shloka 9

Adhyāya 180: Jīva, Śarīra, and the Fire Analogy (भृगु–भरद्वाज संवादः)

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच अनुयुक्त: स मेधावी लोकधर्मविधानवित्‌ । उवाच श्लक्ष्णया वाचा प्रह्मादमनपार्थया

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | anuyuktaḥ sa medhāvī lokadharmavidhānavit | uvāca ślakṣṇayā vācā prahrādam anapārthayā ||

Translation

Bhishma nói: Tâu Đại vương! Khi Prahrada đã hỏi như vậy, vị hiền triết ấy—bậc trí tuệ, am tường các quy phạm của dharma nơi thế gian—đã đáp lại Prahrada bằng lời lẽ nhu hòa, ý nghĩa rõ ràng và đúng trọng tâm.

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अनुयुक्तः: having been questioned / when questioned
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुयुक्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मेधावी: the intelligent one
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेधाविन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• लोकधर्मविधानवित्: knower of the ordinances of worldly duty
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोकधर्मविधानवित्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• श्लक्ष्णया: with gentle/smooth
• श्लक्ष्णया: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्लक्ष्ण
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• वाचा: speech/words
• वाचा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रह्लादम्: Prahlada
• प्रह्लादम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अनपार्थया: not meaningless / not irrelevant (i.e., meaningful)
• अनपार्थया: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनपार्थ
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Prahrada
• the wise sage (unnamed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames ethical instruction: true guidance on dharma should be delivered with gentleness and with purposeful, relevant speech by one who understands the practical rules of social conduct (loka-dharma).

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma narrates that after Prahrada asks a question, a wise sage knowledgeable in worldly dharma responds to him in a calm, sweet, and meaningful manner, setting up the forthcoming teaching.