Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 52

ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana

River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor

बाण: कार्तस्वरो वल्लिविश्वदंष्टो5थ नैऋति: | संकोचो<5थ वरीताक्षो वराहाश्वो रुचिप्रभ:

bāṇaḥ kārtasvaro valliviśvadaṃṣṭo ’tha nairṛtiḥ | saṃkoco ’tha varītākṣo varāhāśvo ruciprabhāḥ ||

Bhīṣma nói: “(Đây là) những danh xưng—Bāṇa, Kārtasvara, Valli-viśvadaṃṣṭa và Nairṛti; lại có Saṃkoca, Varītākṣa, Varāhāśva và Ruciprabhā.” Ở đoạn này, Bhīṣma tiếp tục lối liệt kê trang trọng các tên gọi cụ thể, gìn giữ truyền thống định danh chính xác trong giáo huấn về dharma—nơi việc nhận biết và ghi nhớ đúng tên được xem là một phần của tri thức có kỷ luật và trật tự nghi lễ–đạo đức.

बाणःarrow; (name) Bāṇa
बाणः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootबाण
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
कार्तस्वरःKārtasvara (gold); (name) Kārtasvara
कार्तस्वरः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकार्तस्वर
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
वल्लिविश्वदंष्टःValliviśvadaṃṣṭa (name; lit. 'having all-fang(s) like creepers')
वल्लिविश्वदंष्टः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवल्लिविश्वदंष्ट
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
अथand then; also
अथ:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथ
नैऋतिःNairṛti (name; relating to Nirṛti / the southwest)
नैऋतिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनैऋति
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
संकोचःcontraction; (name) Saṃkoca
संकोचः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसंकोच
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
अथand then; also
अथ:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथ
वरीताक्षःVarītākṣa (name; lit. 'having varīta-like eyes')
वरीताक्षः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवरीताक्ष
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
वराहाश्वःVarāhāśva (name; lit. 'boar-and-horse')
वराहाश्वः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवराहाश्व
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
रुचिप्रभःRuciprabha (name; 'splendor of radiance')
रुचिप्रभः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootरुचिप्रभ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
B
Bāṇa
K
Kārtasvara
V
Valli-viśvadaṃṣṭa
N
Nairṛti
S
Saṃkoca
V
Varītākṣa
V
Varāhāśva
R
Ruciprabhā

Educational Q&A

The verse functions as part of a dharma-style transmission where exact naming and orderly listing are treated as a form of disciplined knowledge—supporting remembrance, classification, and the integrity of the tradition being taught.

Bhīṣma is continuing an enumerative passage, reciting a sequence of specific names/epithets. The verse is not argumentative but catalogic, preserving a received list within his instruction in the Śānti Parva.