Shloka 8

उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel

Devanagari script

व्रतिभिर्बहुभि: कीर्ण तापसैरुपसेवितम्‌ । ब्राह्मणैश्व महाभागै: सूर्यज्वलनसंनिभै:

Transliteration

vratibhir bahubhiḥ kīrṇaṃ tāpasair upasevitam | brāhmaṇaiś ca mahābhāgaiḥ sūryajvalanasaṃnibhaiḥ ||

Translation

那座林居挤满了许多守誓行愿的苦行者，常有修苦行者往来依止；又聚集着高贵显赫的婆罗门，其光辉如烈日与火焰般炽盛——正是戒律生活与灵力威德汇于一处的景象。

Word by Word

• व्रतिभिः: by/with vow-observers
• व्रतिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रतिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• बहुभिः: by many
• बहुभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• कीर्णम्: filled, strewn
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीर्ण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तापसैः: by ascetics
• तापसैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• उपसेवितम्: frequented, attended
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपसेवित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• ब्राह्मणैः: by Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

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

• महाभागैः: by very fortunate/noble (ones)
• महाभागैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभाग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सूर्य-ज्वलन-संनिभैः: by those resembling the sun and fire (in brilliance)
• सूर्य-ज्वलन-संनिभैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्यज्वलनसंनिभ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• ascetics (tāpasas/vratins)
• Brahmins
• āśrama (hermitage, implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse upholds the ethical ideal that disciplined vows (vrata) and austerity (tapas) generate inner power (tejas) and social-spiritual authority, embodied by ascetics and exemplary Brahmins who sustain dharma through their conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma describes a hermitage as densely populated and regularly visited by vow-keeping ascetics and eminent Brahmins, portraying the setting as a concentrated center of spiritual practice and luminous virtue.