Shloka 4

Parāśara’s Birth, Vasiṣṭha as Guardian, and the Bhṛgu–Kṣatriya Violence Etiology (Ādi-parva 169)

Devanagari script

अपि धर्मेण वर्तेध्वं शास्त्रेण च परंतपा: । अपि विप्रेषु पूजा वः पूजार्हेषु न हीयते,'शत्रुओंको संतप्त करनेवाले वीरो! तुमलोग शास्त्रकी आज्ञा और धर्मके अनुसार चलते हो न? पूजनीय ब्राह्मणोंकी पूजा करनेमें तो तुम्हारी ओरसे कभी भूल नहीं होती?'

Transliteration

api dharmeṇa vartedhvaṃ śāstreṇa ca paraṃtapāḥ | api vipreṣu pūjā vaḥ pūjārheṣu na hīyate ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: „O Helden, die ihr den Feind versengt, wandelt ihr wahrhaft gemäß dem Dharma und den Vorschriften der Śāstras? Und lässt eure ehrfürchtige Verehrung der Brāhmaṇas—der Verehrungswürdigen—niemals nach?“

Word by Word

अपिindeed; also; (interrog.) surely?

धर्मेणby/according to dharma

वर्तेध्वम्do you conduct yourselves?/conduct yourselves

शास्त्रेणby/according to scripture

चand

परंतपाःO tormentors of foes (heroes)

अपिalso; (interrog.) surely?

विप्रेषुamong/with regard to brahmins

पूजाworship; honoring

वःof you; your

पूजार्हेषुtowards those worthy of honor

नnot

हीयतेis diminished; falls short

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

brāhmaṇas (vipra)

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 frames righteous life as conformity to dharma and śāstra, and treats honoring brāhmaṇas (the learned and ritually authoritative) as a key ethical marker of proper conduct, especially for warriors and rulers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana poses a probing question to valorous men, checking whether their behavior aligns with scriptural norms and whether they maintain due reverence toward those deemed worthy of honor—signaling concern for moral legitimacy alongside martial prowess.