Shloka 183

अश्वशिरो-आख्यानम्

Aśvaśiras / Hayaśiras Narrative: Retrieval of the Vedas

Devanagari script

स्थितौ धर्मोत्तरौ होतो तथा तपसि घधिष्ठितौ । “इनमेंसे हरि और कृष्ण किसी और कार्यमें संलग्न हैं; परंतु ये दोनों भाई नारायण और नर धर्मको ही प्रधान मानते हुए तपस्यामें संलग्न हैं

Transliteration

sthītau dharmottarau hṛtau tathā tapasi cādhiṣṭhitau |

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“此二者安住于正法，志在超越世间利得之上；同样也坚定从事苦行。纵然诃利与黑天或忙于他务，这两位兄弟——那罗延与那罗——以达摩为至上，因此专心致志于苦行（tapās）。”

Word by Word

• स्थितौ: standing/abiding (two persons)
• स्थितौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थित (√स्था)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• धर्मोत्तरौ: having dharma as the higher/foremost (two)
• धर्मोत्तरौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मोत्तर (धर्म + उत्तर)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• होतौ: two hotṛ-priests / offerers
• होतौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: होतृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• तथा: thus; likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• तपसि: in austerity/penance
• तपसि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अधिष्ठितौ: established/engaged (two)
• अधिष्ठितौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिष्ठित (अधि + √स्था)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Hari
• Kṛṣṇa
• Nārāyaṇa
• Nara
• Dharma
• Tapas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is presented as the highest priority: even exalted beings may perform many roles, but the ideal model is to remain firmly grounded in righteousness and sustained by tapas (disciplined self-restraint) as the means to uphold and realize dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma contrasts different divine/heroic engagements: while Hari and Kṛṣṇa can be involved in various worldly or cosmic tasks, the paired figures Nārāyaṇa and Nara are depicted as brothers who keep dharma foremost and remain devoted to austerity, exemplifying spiritual steadfastness.