Mahabharata 3.2.65 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 2, Shloka 65

ब्राह्मणानुयात्रा—शौनकोपदेशः

Brāhmaṇas Follow into Exile and Śaunaka’s Instruction

Devanagari script

शिक्षोदरकृते<प्राज्ञ: करोति विघसं बहु | मोहरागवशाक्रान्त इन्द्रियार्थवशानुग:

Transliteration

śikṣodarākṛte prājñaḥ karoti vighasaṃ bahu | moharāgavaśākrānta indriyārthavaśānugaḥ ||

Translation

মোহ আৰু ৰাগত আচ্ছন্ন, ইন্দ্ৰিয়বিষয়ৰ বশত পৰি সিহঁতৰ অনুসৰণ কৰা অপ্রাজ্ঞ মানুহে নিজৰ ইন্দ্ৰিয় আৰু উদৰৰ তৃপ্তিৰ বাবে নানা ভোগসামগ্ৰী সঞ্চয় কৰে, আৰু তাক যেন যজ্ঞাৱশিষ্ট ‘বিঘস’—এনেদৰে ভাবি ধৰে।

Word by Word

• शिक्षा: instruction/discipline
• शिक्षा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिक्षा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• उदर: in/for the belly (stomach)
• उदर: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदर
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• कृते: for the sake of
• कृते: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृत (कृ + क्त)
• Form: Locative singular used adverbially (kṛte = for the sake of)

• प्राज्ञः: a wise man
• प्राज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• करोति: does/makes
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• विघसम्: leftover food; remnants
• विघसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघस
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• बहु: much/a lot
• बहु: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मोह: delusion
• मोह: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• राग: attachment/passion
• राग: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• वश: under the control
• वश: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• आक्रान्तः: overpowered/seized
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-क्रम् (क्रम् + क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इन्द्रिय: of the sense-organ(s)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अर्थ: of the object (of sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• वश: under the control
• वश: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अनुगः: following; compliant
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु-ग (गम् + ड)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• śaunaka
• vighasa (yajña-śeṣa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that when a person is ruled by moha (delusion) and rāga (attachment), he becomes a follower of sense-objects and justifies accumulation for pleasure and appetite as if it were sanctified (like yajña-śeṣa). True dharma requires restraint and right intention, not desire-driven hoarding.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śaunaka is speaking in a didactic tone, characterizing the conduct of an ignorant person: he pursues sense-objects for bodily gratification and gathers abundant enjoyments, mislabeling them as ‘vighasa’ (sacrificial remainder). The statement functions as moral critique within the broader discourse.