Shloka 39

Śreyas-nirdeśa (Discerning the Superior Good): Nārada–Gālava Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच पुत्रस्यैतद्‌ वच: श्रुत्वा तथाकार्षीत्‌ पिता नृप । तथा त्वमपि वर्तस्व सत्यधर्मपरायण:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca putrasyaitad vacaḥ śrutvā tathākārṣīt pitā nṛpa | tathā tvam api vartasva satyadharmaparāyaṇaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Hỡi đại vương, nghe những lời ấy của con trai, người cha đã làm đúng y như lời được nói. Cũng vậy, bệ hạ hãy tự xử—kiên định nương theo chân thật và dharma—mà hành trì như thế.”

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

• पुत्रस्य: of the son
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वचः: speech; words
• वचः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Active

• तथा: thus; accordingly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अकार्षीत्: did; carried out
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Aorist, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पिता: the father
• पिता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नृप: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तथा: in the same way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• वर्तस्व: conduct yourself; behave
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Atmanepada

• सत्यधर्मपरायणः: devoted to truth and dharma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्यधर्मपरायण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• भीष्म (Bhīṣma)
• नृप (the king, addressee)
• पुत्र (son)
• पिता (father)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should align one’s conduct with truth (satya) and dharma, taking exemplary precedent seriously: just as a father acted according to a son’s righteous words, a ruler should likewise act in faithful conformity to ethical counsel.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma addresses the king and cites an illustrative episode: after hearing his son’s statement, a father complied with it. Bhishma then turns the example into direct instruction, urging the king to behave in the same manner—committed to truth and dharma.