Shloka 23

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 181 — Svayaṃvara Aftermath: Arjuna–Karna Exchange and Bhīma–Śalya Contest

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठश्न महाभाग: सर्वमेतदवैक्षत । ज्ञानयोगेन महता तपसा च परंतप,शत्रुसूदन अर्जुन! महाभाग वसिष्ठजी अपनी बड़ी भारी तपस्या तथा ज्ञानयोगके प्रभावसे ये सब बातें जानते थे

Transliteration

Vasiṣṭhaḥ sa mahābhāgaḥ sarvam etad avaikṣata | jñānayogena mahatā tapasā ca parantapa ||

Translation

Der hochbegnadete Vasiṣṭha schaute und erkannte all dies—durch die große Kraft des jñāna-yoga und durch seine Askese (tapas).

Word by Word

वसिष्ठःVasiṣṭha (the sage)

महाभागःthe greatly fortunate / illustrious one

सर्वम्all

एतत्this

अवैक्षतsaw / perceived

ज्ञानयोगेनby (means of) the yoga of knowledge

महताgreat

तपसाby austerity / penance

चand

परंतपO scorcher of foes

शत्रुसूदनO slayer of enemies

अर्जुनO Arjuna

Speaker

गन्धर्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vasiṣṭha

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Authentic knowledge and moral authority arise from jñāna-yoga (disciplined insight) and tapas (austerity/self-control); a sage perceives truth through inner cultivation rather than external power.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Gandharva states that the great sage Vasiṣṭha had already discerned all the relevant facts, because his spiritual disciplines—knowledge-yoga and austerity—gave him penetrating understanding.