Mahabharata 3.2.83 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 2, Shloka 83

ब्राह्मणानुयात्रा—शौनकोपदेशः

Brāhmaṇas Follow into Exile and Śaunaka’s Instruction

Devanagari script

पितृमातृमयी सिद्धि: प्राप्ता कर्ममयी च ते । तपसा सिद्धिमन्विच्छ द्विजानां भरणाय वै

Transliteration

pitṛmātṛmayī siddhiḥ prāptā karmamayī ca te | tapasā siddhim anviccha dvijānāṁ bharaṇāya vai ||

Translation

قال شاونَكا: «لقد نلتَ من قبلُ السِّدهي التي تُنال بالعمل—وهي سِدهيٌ تعود بالنفع على الآباء والأمهات، وتُورِثُ الخير في هذه الدنيا وفي الآخرة. فاطلب الآن، بالتَّبَس، سِدهي اليوغا الأعلى التي بها يُؤمَّنُ رزقُ ذوي الميلادين (البراهمة) ورعايتُهم.»

Word by Word

• {'pitṛ-mātṛ-mayī': 'consisting in (or oriented toward) fathers and mothers

• beneficial to ancestors and parents', 'siddhiḥ': 'attainment

• spiritual or practical success', 'prāptā': 'obtained

• attained', 'karma-mayī': 'arising from action/ritual duty

• constituted of works', 'te': 'to you

• your', 'tapasā': 'by austerity

• through ascetic discipline', 'siddhim': 'accomplishment

• attainment (accusative)', 'anviccha': 'seek

• pursue', 'dvijānām': 'of the twice-born

• especially Brahmins', 'bharaṇāya': 'for the support/maintenance

• for sustenance', 'vai': 'indeed

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śaunaka
• dvijāḥ (twice-born/Brahmins)
• pitaraḥ (forefathers)
• mātaraḥ (mothers/parents)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse distinguishes between merit gained through prescribed actions (karma-siddhi) and a higher attainment pursued through austerity (tapas). It frames spiritual striving as ethically directed: one should seek power/attainment that serves dharma, here expressed as the rightful support and maintenance of the twice-born (especially Brahmins).

What is happening in the narrative?

Śaunaka addresses a listener/recipient, acknowledging that they have already gained an action-born success that benefits family/ancestors across both worlds. He then urges them to undertake austerities to obtain a further yogic accomplishment, specifically so that Brahmins may be properly sustained—linking spiritual practice with social-religious responsibility.