Shloka 23

Devanagari script

निबोधत यथावृत्तमुच्यमानं मयानघा: । राजवृत्तेन सम्पन्न: प्रज्मयाभिजनेन च

Transliteration

nibodhata yathāvṛttam ucyamānaṃ mayānaghāḥ | rājavṛttena sampannaḥ prajñayābhijanena ca ||

Translation

毗湿摩波衍那说道：“无罪之人啊，且细听我所叙述的如实经过。毗湿摩具足王者之行与自持之律，又以智慧与高贵门第而卓然出众。”

Word by Word

• निबोधत: understand / listen (you all)
• निबोधत: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध्
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, 2, plural

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

• वृत्तम्: the account / what happened
• वृत्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्त
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• उच्यमानम्: being spoken
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच्
• Form: शानच् (present passive participle), neuter, accusative, singular

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: common, instrumental, singular

• अनघाः: O sinless ones
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनघ
• Form: masculine, vocative, plural

• राजवृत्तेन: with royal conduct
• राजवृत्तेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजवृत्त
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• सम्पन्नः: endowed / possessed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्पन्न
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), masculine, nominative, singular

• प्रज्ञया: with wisdom
• प्रज्ञया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रज्ञा
• Form: feminine, instrumental, singular

• अभिजनेन: with noble lineage
• अभिजनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिजन
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

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

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames Bhīṣma as an exemplar of dharma through rājavṛtta (royal ethical discipline), prajñā (wisdom), and abhijana (noble lineage), implying that true greatness is measured by conduct and discernment, not merely status.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses the listeners as “blameless ones” and begins a truthful narration, introducing Bhīṣma’s virtues—his adherence to royal duty, his wisdom, and his noble birth—as part of a laudatory account connected with the aftermath of Bhīṣma’s passing.