Shloka 11

Devanagari script

यथा येन च कल्पेन स तस्मै द्विजसत्तम: । कथां कथितवान्‌ पृष्टस्तथा त्वमपि मे शृणु

Transliteration

yathā yena ca kalpena sa tasmai dvijasattamaḥ | kathāṃ kathitavān pṛṣṭas tathā tvam api me śṛṇu

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“那位最胜的两生者（婆罗门）被问及时，以何种方式、用何种法度向他讲述此事——你也当如此从我这里听取，我将为你转述。”

Word by Word

• यथा: as, in the manner that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

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

• कल्पेन: by the method/arrangement
• कल्पेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

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

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Dative, Singular

• द्विजसत्तमः: the best of the twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विजसत्तमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजसत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कथाम्: the story/discourse
• कथाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• कथितवान्: told, narrated
• कथितवान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ्
• Form: Perfect (periphrastic), Third, Singular, Masculine, Nominative

• पृष्टः: having been asked
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ्
• Form: Passive, Past (PPP), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: so, thus, in that way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• मे: of me, my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• शृणु: listen
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• dvijasattama (an eminent brāhmaṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes faithful transmission of instruction: a teaching should be conveyed in the same careful manner in which it was originally received—preserving method, context, and intent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma signals that he will recount a previously told discourse or story, matching the earlier brāhmaṇa’s manner of narration, and asks his listener to attend closely.