Shloka 19

Jñāna-yoga and Karma-phala: Manu–Bṛhaspati on Akṣara and the Limits of Mantra

Devanagari script

दर्शने दर्शने नित्यं सुखप्रश्नमुदाहरेत्‌ । सायं प्रातश्न विप्राणां प्रदेष्टम भिवादनम्‌

Transliteration

darśane darśane nityaṁ sukhapraśnam udāharet | sāyaṁ prātaś ca viprāṇāṁ pradeṣṭam abhivādanam ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Hễ gặp các vị ấy, hãy luôn cất lời thăm hỏi an lành một cách nhã nhặn. Và vào buổi chiều, rồi lại buổi sáng, phải cung kính đảnh lễ các brāhmaṇa cho đúng phép.”

Word by Word

• दर्शने: in (the act of) seeing/meeting
• दर्शने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• दर्शने: in (each) meeting
• दर्शने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• नित्यम्: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य

• सुखप्रश्नम्: a courteous inquiry about well-being
• सुखप्रश्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख-प्रश्न
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उदाहरेत्: should utter/offer
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-आ-हृ
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सायम्: in the evening
• सायम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सायम्

• प्रातः: in the morning
• प्रातः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रातः

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

• विप्राणाम्: of/for the brahmins
• विप्राणाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• प्रदेष्टव्यम्: is to be given/offered
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दा
• Form: Gerundive (tavya), Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अभिवादनम्: salutation/greeting
• अभिवादनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिवादन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• viprāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Cultivate daily dharmic courtesy: inquire after others’ well-being whenever you meet them, and maintain disciplined respect—especially toward brāhmaṇas—through regular morning and evening salutations.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma continues his instruction on righteous conduct (ācāra) after the war, prescribing concrete daily behaviors—polite welfare-inquiry and formal salutations—as marks of humility and social dharma.