Shloka 55

एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline

Devanagari script

जम्मुर्यथेप्सितं देशं तपसे कृतनिश्चया: । धारणा: सर्वलोकानां सर्वधर्मप्रवर्तका:

Transliteration

jammur yathepsitaṁ deśaṁ tapase kṛtaniścayāḥ | dhāraṇāḥ sarvalokānāṁ sarvadharmapravartakāḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Đã kiên quyết dấn thân vào khổ hạnh, các bậc hiền triết ấy—những người nâng đỡ mọi cõi và cổ xúy mọi hình thái của dharma—liền lên đường đến miền đất mà họ mong muốn.”

Word by Word

• जग्मुः: they went
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (गच्छ्)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्ण भूत/परफेक्ट), 3, plural, परस्मैपद

• यथा: as/according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• ईप्सितम्: desired
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईप्सित (इप्स्/आप्-इच्छार्थक; ‘desired’)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• देशम्: place/region
• देशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• कृतनिश्चयाः: having made a resolve / determined
• कृतनिश्चयाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत-निश्चय
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• धारणाः: supporters/sustainers (bearers)
• धारणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारणा
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural

• सर्वलोकानाम्: of all worlds/people
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-लोक
• Form: masculine, genitive, plural

• सर्वधर्मप्रवर्तकाः: promoters/establishers of all dharmas
• सर्वधर्मप्रवर्तकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-धर्म-प्रवर्तक
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• ṛṣayaḥ (sages)
• deśa (desired region/place)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is sustained and propagated through disciplined resolve (niścaya) and tapas; those who uphold society and the worlds do so by committing themselves to austere practice and purposeful action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma describes sages who, after receiving and transmitting sacred instruction in the primordial context, determine to perform austerities and then depart to their chosen regions to establish and promote dharma across the worlds.