Shloka 9

Adhyāya 180: Jīva, Śarīra, and the Fire Analogy (भृगु–भरद्वाज संवादः)

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच अनुयुक्त: स मेधावी लोकधर्मविधानवित्‌ । उवाच श्लक्ष्णया वाचा प्रह्मादमनपार्थया

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | anuyuktaḥ sa medhāvī lokadharmavidhānavit | uvāca ślakṣṇayā vācā prahrādam anapārthayā ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：大王！当普罗诃罗陀如此发问时，那位睿智的圣仙——通晓世间法（dharma）之规制——便以柔和而切要、意味深长的话语回答了普罗诃罗陀。

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अनुयुक्तः: having been questioned / when questioned
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुयुक्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मेधावी: the intelligent one
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेधाविन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• लोकधर्मविधानवित्: knower of the ordinances of worldly duty
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोकधर्मविधानवित्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• श्लक्ष्णया: with gentle/smooth
• श्लक्ष्णया: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्लक्ष्ण
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• वाचा: speech/words
• वाचा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रह्लादम्: Prahlada
• प्रह्लादम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अनपार्थया: not meaningless / not irrelevant (i.e., meaningful)
• अनपार्थया: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनपार्थ
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Prahrada
• the wise sage (unnamed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames ethical instruction: true guidance on dharma should be delivered with gentleness and with purposeful, relevant speech by one who understands the practical rules of social conduct (loka-dharma).

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma narrates that after Prahrada asks a question, a wise sage knowledgeable in worldly dharma responds to him in a calm, sweet, and meaningful manner, setting up the forthcoming teaching.