Shanti Parva Adhyaya 244 Shloka 17 - Mahabharata | Bengali | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 17

महाभूत–इन्द्रिय–मनस्–बुद्धि–अन्तरात्मा विवेकः | Discrimination of Elements, Senses, Mind, Intellect, and Inner Self

Devanagari script

सांकृति: सुदिवा तण्डियथावासो5कृतश्रम: । अहोवीर्यस्तथा काव्यस्ताण्ड्यो मेधातिथिबुध:

Transliteration

sāṅkṛtiḥ sudivā taṇḍi yathāvāso'kṛtaśramaḥ | ahovīryas tathā kāvyas tāṇḍyo medhātithir budhaḥ ||

Translation

ব্যাস বললেন—“সাঙ্কৃতি, সুদিবা, তণ্ডি, যথাবাস, অকৃতশ্রম, অহোবীর্য, কাব্য (শুক্রাচার্য), তাণ্ড্য, মেধাতিথি ও বুধ—এই ঋষিরাও বনপ্রস্থ-ধর্ম পালন করেছিলেন।”

Word by Word

सांकृतिःSāṅkṛti (a sage)

सुदिवाSudivā (a sage)

तण्डिःTaṇḍi (a sage)

यथावासःYathāvāsa (a sage)

अकृतश्रमःAkṛtaśrama (a sage; lit. 'one whose toil is not done/undergone')

अहोवीर्यःAhovīrya (a sage; lit. 'oh, (what) valor')

तथाand likewise

काव्यःKāvya (Śukrācārya)

ताण्ड्यःTāṇḍya (a sage)

मेधातिथिःMedhātithi (a sage)

बुधःBudha (a sage/the wise one)

तातO dear one / O son

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Sāṅkṛti

Sudivā

Taṇḍi

Yathāvāsa

Akṛtaśrama

Ahovīrya

Kāvya (Śukrācārya)

Tāṇḍya

Medhātithi

Budha

Svarga

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?

The verse reinforces the authority and continuity of vānaprastha-dharma: exemplary sages practiced disciplined withdrawal, austerity, and teaching, showing that this life-stage is a respected ethical path leading to spiritual merit and higher worlds.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Vyāsa cites a roster of revered figures as precedents—naming those who observed the forest-dweller discipline—thereby validating the practice through lineage and example.