Shloka 3

Āpad-dharma and Discernment in Livelihood (आपद्धर्मे विज्ञानबलम्)

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्‌ । गौतमस्य च संवादं यमस्य च महात्मन:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṁ purātanam | gautamasya ca saṁvādaṁ yamasya ca mahātmanaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“尤狄湿提罗，在此达摩之事上，智者亦常引一则古老先例：那是古传故事，以乔达摩与大心的阎摩之对话为体。”

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

• अत्र: here; in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• अपि: also; even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• उदाहरन्ति: they cite; they give as an example
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-आ-हृ
• Form: Present, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इतिहासम्: ancient tale; historical account
• इतिहासम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पुरातनम्: ancient; old
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरातन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गौतमस्य: of Gautama
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

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

• संवादम्: dialogue; conversation
• संवादम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवाद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यमस्य: of Yama
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

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

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled (one)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Gautama
• Yama

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That questions of dharma are clarified through authoritative precedents: the tradition preserves instructive dialogues (itihāsa) that the wise cite to illuminate ethical duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma signals a shift into an illustrative story: he introduces an ancient dialogue between the sage Gautama and Yama, which will serve as an example to explain the dharma under discussion.