Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 45

Indratīrtha–Ādityatīrtha: Balarāma’s Ritual Bathing, Dāna, and Sacred-Historical Recollections

Devanagari script

उपसर्पस्व धर्मज्ञे यथापूर्वमिमानृषीन्‌ । प्रीतो5स्मि तव धर्मज्ञे तपसा नियमेन च

Transliteration

upasarpasva dharmajñe yathāpūrvam imān ṛṣīn | prīto 'smi tava dharmajñe tapasā niyamena ca ||

Translation

قال فايشَمبايانا: «يا من أنتِ حكيمةٌ مستقيمة، اقتربي من هؤلاء الرِّشِيّين مرةً أخرى كما فعلتِ من قبل. يا عارفةَ الدَّرما، إنّي راضٍ عنكِ—راضٍ بزهدكِ وتقشّفكِ وبانضباطكِ في مراعاة النُّذور والشرائع.»

Word by Word

• {'upasarpasva': 'approach, go near (imperative, 2nd person singular)', 'dharmajñe (dharmajñā)': 'one who knows dharma

• righteous, discerning in duty', 'yathāpūrvam': 'as before

• in the former manner', 'imān': 'these (accusative plural)', 'ṛṣīn': 'sages, seers (accusative plural)', 'prītaḥ asmi': 'I am pleased

• I am satisfied', 'tava': 'with you/your (genitive singular)', 'tapasā': 'by austerity, ascetic heat/effort (instrumental singular)', 'niyamena': 'by restraint

• by religious discipline/observance (instrumental singular)', 'ca': 'and'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Ṛṣis (sages)
• Arundhatī
• Bhagavān Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Saptarṣi-gaṇa (Seven-sage group)
• Himālaya (mountain)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is shown as lived practice: steadfast tapas (austerity) and niyama (disciplined observance) earn moral and spiritual approval, and proper conduct includes respectfully approaching and serving sages as before.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the Saptarṣis come from the Himālaya bringing fruits, Śaṅkara, pleased, instructs Arundhatī to go and approach the sages again in the customary manner, praising her for her austerity and disciplined vows.