Shloka 26

Devanagari script

असिनैवैकधारेण स्वबुद्धया तु विचेष्टितम्‌ प्रायशो<वृत्तसम्पन्ना: सततं पर्युपासिता:

Transliteration

asināivaikadhāreṇa svabuddhyā tu viceṣṭitam | prāyaśo vṛttasampannāḥ satataṃ paryupāsitāḥ ||

Translation

তারা তলোয়ারের একধারার মতো তীক্ষ্ণ সংকল্প নিয়ে নিজেদের বুদ্ধিতেই উদ্যোগী হয়ে কর্মে প্রবৃত্ত হল; আর অধিকাংশ সময় সদাচারসম্পন্ন লোকেরা নিরন্তর তাদের সেবা-উপাসনায় নিয়োজিত থাকত।

Word by Word

असिनाwith a sword

एवindeed/just

एकधारेणwith a single-edged (blade)

स्वबुद्धयाby (one's) own understanding

तुbut/indeed

विचेष्टितम्was acted/was done/was attempted

प्रायशःfor the most part/mostly

वृत्तसम्पन्नाःendowed with good conduct

सततम्constantly

पर्युपासिताःwere attended upon/served

Speaker

वैशमग्पायन उवाच

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical ideal that those who are vṛtta-sampanna—people of good conduct—deserve steady respect and service, and that decisive action (likened to a sword’s single edge) should be guided by one’s own clear judgment.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśaṃpāyana’s narration within the Strī Parva’s opening, the text describes determined action and continual attendance upon the well-conducted, setting a moral tone amid the post-war context of grief and reflection.