Shloka 47

ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana

River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor

Devanagari script

राजलोका ह्व[तिक्रान्ता यान्न संख्यातुमुत्सहे

Transliteration

rājalokā hy atikrāntā yān na saṅkhyātum utsahe

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“无数王者之辈早已越过此世而去——多到我甚至不敢细数。”

Word by Word

• राजलोकाः: royal people; kings and their retinues
• राजलोकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजलोक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अतिक्रान्ताः: having passed beyond; having exceeded
• अतिक्रान्ताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति-क्रम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यान्: whom; which (persons)
• यान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• संख्यातुम्: to count; to enumerate
• Type: Verb
• Root: संख्या (√ख्या with सम्-)
• Form: Infinitive

• उत्सहे: I am able; I dare; I undertake
• उत्सहे: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्सह्
• Form: Present, 1st, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• rājaloka (kings/royal persons)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma emphasizes impermanence: even countless kings and great rulers have passed away, so one should not cling to power, status, or worldly achievements but align life with dharma and lasting values.

What is happening in the narrative?

In his instruction during Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma reflects on the vast number of rulers who have already departed, using their uncountable passing as a moral reminder about the transience of worldly sovereignty.