Shloka 29

एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline

Devanagari script

आस्यै: सप्तभिरुद्वीर्ण लोकधर्ममनुत्तमम्‌ | मरीचिरुत््यड्विरसौ पुलस्त्य: पुलहः क्रतु: । वसिष्ठ श्न महातेजास्ते हि चित्रशिखण्डिन:

Transliteration

āsyaḥ saptabhir udvīrṇaṁ lokadharmam anuttamam | marīcir atrir aṅgirāḥ pulastyaḥ pulahaḥ kratuḥ | vasiṣṭhaś ca mahātejās te hi citraśikhaṇḍinaḥ |

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“无上的世间法（dharma）由七口宣说而出。摩利支（Marīci）、阿特利（Atri）、安祇罗（Aṅgiras）、普罗娑底耶（Pulastya）、普罗诃（Pulaha）、克罗图（Kratu）以及大光辉的婆悉吒（Vasiṣṭha）——这七位著名仙人被称为‘奇特罗施佉檀因’（Citraśikhaṇḍin）。他们在大山须弥（Meru）之巅同心一志，阐释并撰成一部卓越教法，尊贵而具权威，堪与四部吠陀同等；其中详明了社会与道德秩序的最高原则。”

Word by Word

• आस्यैः: by (their) mouths/faces
• आस्यैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• सप्तभिः: by seven
• सप्तभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: —, Instrumental, Plural

• उद्वीर्णम्: brought forth/produced
• उद्वीर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-√वॄ (वॄञ् वरणे/वरण-प्रसारणे) → उद्वीर्ण (कृदन्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• लोकधर्मम्: the dharma of the world (social/religious duty)
• लोकधर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोकधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed, excellent
• अनुत्तमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मरीचिः: Marīci (sage)
• मरीचिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरीचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अत्रिः: Atri (sage)
• अत्रिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अत्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अङ्गिराः: Aṅgiras (sage)
• अङ्गिराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya (sage)
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुलहः: Pulaha (sage)
• पुलहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्रतुः: Kratu (sage)
• क्रतुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha (sage)
• वसिष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महातेजाः: of great splendor/energy
• महातेजाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महातेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (निपात)

• चित्रशिखण्डिनः: the ‘Citraśikhaṇḍins’ (those with variegated crests/topknots)
• चित्रशिखण्डिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रशिखण्डिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Marichi
• Atri
• Angiras
• Pulastya
• Pulaha
• Kratu
• Vasistha
• Meru (Mahagiri)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma that sustains worldly life (lokadharma) is presented as an authoritative, Veda-like teaching, articulated through the consensus and speech of seven eminent sages, emphasizing that ethical and social norms have a venerable, scriptural foundation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma identifies seven famous rishis—Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, and Vasistha—calling them Citraśikhaṇḍins, and describes how they jointly expounded a supreme account of lokadharma, traditionally situated on Mount Meru and treated as highly authoritative.