Shloka 23

वृत्ति-सत्सङ्ग-दान-धर्म

Livelihood, Virtuous Association, and Ethics of Giving

Devanagari script

भगवन्‌ क्व नु यान्त्येते देवा: शक्रपुरोगमा: । ब्रृहि तत्त्वेन तत्त्वज्ञ संशयो मे महानयम्‌

Transliteration

bhagavan kva nu yānty ete devāḥ śakra-purogamāḥ | brūhi tattvena tattvajña saṁśayo me mahān ayam ||

Translation

“Bạch Thế Tôn! Các vị thần này, do Śakra (Indra) dẫn đầu, rốt cuộc đang đi về đâu? Ôi bậc thấu triệt chân lý, xin nói cho thiếp biết đúng như thật, vì trong lòng thiếp đã dấy lên một mối nghi lớn.”

Word by Word

• भगवन्: O Blessed Lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• क्व: where
• क्व: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व

• नु: indeed/then (emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु

• यान्ति: go
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (याति)
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• एते: these
• एते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शक्रपुरोगमाः: having Indra (Śakra) in front; led by Indra
• शक्रपुरोगमाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्र-पुरोगम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ब्रूहि: tell (you should say)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तत्त्वेन: in truth; truly
• तत्त्वेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• तत्त्वज्ञ: O knower of truth
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्वज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मे: of me; my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• महान्: great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अयम्: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Devas
• Śakra (Indra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds dharmic inquiry: when confronted with an unclear divine or moral situation, one should seek clarification from a tattvajña (knower of reality) and ask for an account grounded in tattva (truth), not conjecture.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma addresses a revered interlocutor and asks where the gods, led by Indra, are going. His question arises from a strong inner doubt, prompting him to request a precise, truthful explanation.