Shloka 77

Devanagari script

संहितापुस्तकान्‌ राजन्‌ प्रयतः सुसमाहित:ः । भक्ष्यैमल्यैश्न पेयैश्व कामैश्न विविधै: शुभ:

Transliteration

saṁhitāpustakān rājan prayataḥ susamāhitaḥ | bhakṣyaiḥ mālyaiś ca peyaiś ca kāmaiś ca vividhaiḥ śubhaiḥ ||

Translation

قال فايشَمبايانا: «أيها الملك، مع التزام الزهد وضبط النفس، ومع ذهنٍ مجموعٍ حسنِ التوجّه، ينبغي إكرامُ كتب السَّمهيتا (saṁhitā) المجمَّعة إكرامًا لائقًا. وبإهداء أطيب المآكل، والأكاليل، والمشارب، وسائر العطايا المباركة المرغوبة، تُقام عبادتُها بقلبٍ مركّزٍ وطهارةٍ.»

Word by Word

• संहिता: the compilation/collection (saṃhitā)
• संहिता: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संहिता
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• पुस्तकान्: books
• पुस्तकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुस्तक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रयतः: disciplined, purified
• प्रयतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रयत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुसमाहितः: well-collected (in mind), fully concentrated
• सुसमाहितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-समाहित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भक्ष्यैः: with eatables/delicacies
• भक्ष्यैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ष्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• माल्यैः: with garlands
• माल्यैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: माल्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

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

• पेयैः: with drinks
• पेयैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पेय
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

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

• कामैः: with desirable objects/offerings
• कामैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

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

• विविधैः: various, diverse
• विविधैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• शुभः: auspicious, pure
• शुभः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• King (rājan)
• saṁhitā-pustaka (compiled scripture-books)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches reverence for sacred learning: texts are to be approached with bodily and mental purity, steady attention, and generous offerings—treating knowledge as a living object of dharma rather than mere material property.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana instructs the king on the proper, ritualized honoring of the Mahābhārata’s compiled books (saṁhitās): with disciplined focus, one offers food, garlands, drinks, and other auspicious gifts as part of a formal worship of the manuscripts/recensions.