Shloka 33

Adhyāya 270 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s inquiry on saṃnyāsa; Bhīṣma on calculable time, tamas, and karma

Vṛtra–Uśanā exemplum begins

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच निर्वेदाद देवतानां च प्रसादात्‌ स द्विजोत्तम: | वन॑ प्रविश्य सुमहत्‌ तप आरब्धवांस्तदा

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca nirvedād devatānāṃ ca prasādāt sa dvijottamaḥ | vanaṃ praviśya sumahat tapa ārabdhavāṃs tadā ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“大王啊，由于离欲之心，又蒙诸天慈恩护佑，那位最胜婆罗门进入森林，并在当时开始了极其宏大的苦行。”

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular

• निर्वेदात्: from dispassion / due to renunciation
• निर्वेदात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वेद
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• देवतानाम्: of the gods
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

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

• प्रसादात्: from grace / by favor
• प्रसादात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

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

• द्विजोत्तमः: the best of Brahmins
• द्विजोत्तमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-उत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वनम्: forest
• वनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रविश्य: having entered
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-विश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• सुमहत्: very great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-महत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आरब्धवान्: having begun / began
• आरब्धवान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रभ्
• Form: क्तवत् (past active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: then, at that time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• the King (Yudhiṣṭhira, implied by context)
• devatāḥ (the gods)
• dvijottamaḥ (a foremost Brahmin, unnamed here)
• vana (forest)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True spiritual effort arises from nirveda (dispassion) and is strengthened by devatā-prasāda (divine favor). The verse presents tapas as an ethical-spiritual response to worldly dissatisfaction, redirecting life toward disciplined self-restraint and higher aims.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma tells the king that an eminent Brahmin, having developed dispassion and received the gods’ favor, went into the forest and began intense austerities, marking a decisive turn from worldly life to ascetic practice.