Shloka 6

Devanagari script

यदा च मम रामेण युद्धमासीत्‌ सुदारुणम्‌ । वसुभिश्न तदा राजन्‌ कथेयं कथिता मम

Transliteration

yadā ca mama rāmeṇa yuddham āsīt sudāruṇam | vasubhiśna tadā rājan katheyaṃ kathitā mama ||

Translation

而当我曾与罗摩进行一场极其惨烈的战斗之时，大王啊，这同一段故事便在与诸婆苏（Vasus）相关的缘起中讲给我听；因此我如今照其所传而复述。

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा
• Form: temporal adverb

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: conjunction

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: genitive, singular

• रामेण: by/with Rama
• रामेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• आसीत्: was
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: imperfect (laṅ), 3rd person, singular, parasmaipada

• सुदारुणम्: very dreadful
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदारुण
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• वसुभिः: by the Vasus
• वसुभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न
• Form: negation particle

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा
• Form: temporal adverb

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• कथा: story/account
• कथा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• इयम्: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• कथिता: told/narrated
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ्
• Form: past passive participle (kta), feminine, nominative, singular

• मम: by me / of me
• मम: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: genitive, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Rāma (Paraśurāma)
• Vasus
• the King (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma frames his account as remembered testimony: ethical reflection on dharma in conflict is grounded in truthful narration of past events, especially when great warriors and even divine beings (the Vasus) are involved.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma begins to recount the episode of his fierce battle with Rāma (Paraśurāma), telling the king that this same story had earlier been narrated in relation to the Vasus, and he now repeats it.