Anushasana Parva Adhyaya 158 Shloka 1 - Mahabharata | German | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अत्-#-र- द्विपज्चाशर्दाधिकशततमो< ध्याय: कार्तवीर्य ० अब प2 ९ दत्तात्रेयजीसे चार वरदान प्राप्त होनेका एवं उनमें उत्पत्तिका वर्णन तथा ब्राह्मणोंकी महिमाके विषयमें कार्तवीर्य अर्जुन और वायुदेवताके संवादका उल्लेख युधिछिर उवाच कां तु ब्राह्मणपूजायां व्युष्टिं दृष्टवा जनाधिप । क॑ वा कर्मोदयं मत्वा तानर्चसि महामते

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | kāṃ tu brāhmaṇapūjāyāṃ vyuṣṭiṃ dṛṣṭvā janādhipa | kiṃ vā karmodayaṃ matvā tān arcasi mahāmate ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „O Herr der Menschen, welchen Nutzen hast du erkannt, dass du beharrlich die Brāhmaṇas ehrst? Oder, o Hochweiser, im Hinblick auf das Aufsteigen und die Frucht welcher Art von Handlung verehrst und ehrst du sie?“

Word by Word

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

उवाचsaid

काम्what (which) (result)

तुindeed/but

ब्राह्मणपूजायाम्in the worship of Brahmins

व्युष्टिम्reward/benefit (lit. dawning, prosperity)

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

जनाधिपO lord of people (king)

कम्what (which) (rise/fruit of action)

वाor

कर्मोदयम्the arising/result of (some) action

मत्वाhaving thought/considered

तान्them (those Brahmins)

अर्चसिyou worship/honor

महामतेO great-minded one

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Brāhmaṇas

Janādhipa (the addressed king/ruler)

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 a dharmic inquiry: reverence toward Brāhmaṇas is not presented as mere custom but as a deliberate ethical act tied to karma and its fruits. It invites reflection on why a ruler should honor the learned and spiritually disciplined—because such honor sustains dharma and yields auspicious outcomes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira questions a ruler (janādhipa) about the motive behind continual worship and honoring of Brāhmaṇas, asking what benefit has been observed or what karmic result is anticipated. This sets up a discourse on the greatness of Brāhmaṇas and the dharma of honoring them.