Shloka 24

Devanagari script

पराशरसगोत्रस्य वृद्धस्य सुमहात्मन: । भिक्षो: पञजचशिखस्याहं शिष्य: परमसम्मतः

Transliteration

parāśarasagotrasya vṛddhasya sumahātmanaḥ | bhikṣoḥ pañcaśikhasyāhaṃ śiṣyaḥ paramasammataḥ ||

Translation

قال جانَكا: «أنا التلميذُ المكرَّمُ غايةَ الإكرام للمتسوّل الزاهد الشيخ، العظيمِ الروح، بانْتشَشِخا (Pañcaśikha)، المنتمي إلى غوترا (gotra) باراشارا (Parāśara).»

Word by Word

पराशरसगोत्रस्यof (one) of Parāśara’s lineage

वृद्धस्यof the aged

सुमहात्मनःof the very great-souled one

भिक्षोःof the mendicant

पञ्चशिखस्यof (him) who has five tufts/crests; of Pañcaśikha

अहम्I

शिष्यःdisciple

परमसम्मतःhighly esteemed/most approved

Speaker

जनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Janaka

Pañcaśikha

Parāśara (gotra/lineage reference)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Janaka grounds his authority in a lineage of renunciation and disciplined learning: ethical and spiritual insight is presented as coming through humble discipleship to a venerable ascetic teacher, not merely through royal status or power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Speaking in the Śānti Parva, Janaka introduces himself by identifying his teacher—Pañcaśikha, an aged mendicant of the Parāśara lineage—and states that he is that teacher’s esteemed disciple, establishing the source of his instruction.