Shloka 6

Ajagara-vrata (The ‘Python’ Discipline): Prahrāda Questions a Wandering Sage

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच ततो राजा विममृशे कथं कार्यमिदं भवेत्‌ । कथं वा सुकृतं मे स्यथादिति बुद्धयान्वचिन्तयत्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | tato rājā vimamṛśe kathaṃ kāryam idaṃ bhavet | kathaṃ vā sukṛtaṃ me syāt iti buddhyā anvacintayat |

Translation

毗湿摩说道：于是国王在心中反复思量：“如今此事当如何办理？又当如何使功德归于我？”因此他一再运用心智，深思熟虑——所求者乃与正法相应、能增长福德之道，而非仅仅追逐成败。

Word by Word

• {'tataḥ': 'then, thereafter', 'rājā': 'king, ruler', 'vimamṛśe (vi + √mṛś)': 'reflected, deliberated, considered carefully', 'katham': 'how?', 'kāryam': 'what is to be done

• a task, duty, necessary action', 'idam': 'this', 'bhavet': 'may be

• would become (optative sense)', 'vā': 'or

• and also', 'sukṛtam': 'merit, virtuous deed

• religious/ethical credit', 'me': 'for me

• my', 'syāt': 'may be

• might arise (optative)', 'iti': 'thus

• ‘…’ (quotative particle)', 'buddhyā': 'with intellect

• by understanding, discernment', 'anvacintayat (anu + √cint)': 'thought over repeatedly

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (speaker)
• Yudhishthira (addressee, implied by context in the given Hindi gloss)
• Raja (the king, unnamed in this verse)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Before acting, one should deliberate with discernment not only about effectiveness (‘how will this be done?’) but also about ethical consequence (‘how will merit arise for me?’). The verse highlights reflective decision-making as a dharmic discipline.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing something significant, the king turns inward and repeatedly weighs his options—seeking a practical plan of action while also aiming to secure sukṛta (moral/religious merit). Bhishma narrates this reflective pause as part of his instruction to Yudhishthira.