Shloka 16

Adhyāya 9: Pratiśruta-Dāna

The Duty to Fulfill Promised Gifts

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच इत्येतद्‌ ब्रुवतो राजन्‌ ब्राह्मणस्य मया श्रुतम्‌ । कथां कथयत: पुण्यां धर्मज्ञस्य पुरातनीम्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca—ity etad bruvato rājan brāhmaṇasya mayā śrutam | kathāṃ kathayataḥ puṇyāṃ dharmajñasya purātanīm ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“大王啊，此事我曾亲从一位通晓法（dharma）的婆罗门口中听闻；当时他正在讲述一则古老而神圣的故事。”

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• एतत्: this (statement/matter)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ब्रुवतः: of (him) speaking/saying
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Shatr (present active participle), Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

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

• ब्राह्मणस्य: of a Brahmin
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Instrumental, Singular

• श्रुतम्: heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Kta (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• कथाम्: a story
• कथाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• कथयतः: of (him) narrating/telling
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय्
• Form: Shatr (present active participle), Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• पुण्याम्: holy, meritorious
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• धर्मज्ञस्य: of the knower of dharma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पुरातनीम्: ancient, old
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरातन
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• King (Yudhishthira implied by context)
• Brahmin (unnamed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse establishes the authority and sanctity of the teaching by tracing it to a dharma-knowing Brahmin and an ancient, meritorious tradition—implying that ethical instruction is best grounded in reliable lineage and sacred narrative.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma introduces the source of the account he is about to relate to the king: he previously heard it from a Brahmin who was narrating an old and holy story, setting up the forthcoming instruction as traditional and trustworthy.