Shloka 3

Brahmopadeśa: Adhipatitva-kathana, Dharma-lakṣaṇa, and Kṣetra–Kṣetrajña Viveka

Book 14, Chapter 43

Devanagari script

न्यग्रोधो जम्बुवृक्षश्ष पिप्पल: शाल्मलिस्तथा । शिंशपा मेषशृज्ञश्न तथा कीचकवेणव:

Transliteration

nyagrodho jambuvṛkṣaś ca pippalaḥ śālmalis tathā | śiṃśapā meṣaśṛṅgī ca tathā kīcakaveṇavaḥ ||

Translation

Vāyu-deva sprach: „Der Nyagrodha (Banyan), der Jambu-Baum, der Pippala (Aśvattha) und der Śālmali; ebenso der Śiṃśapā, der Meṣaśṛṅgī und auch die Kīcaka-Bambusse.“

Word by Word

न्यग्रोधःbanyan tree

जम्बुवृक्षःjambu tree (rose-apple tree)

पिप्पलःpippala (sacred fig) tree

शाल्मलिःśālmali (silk-cotton) tree

तथाand likewise

शिंशपाśiṃśapā tree (Indian rosewood)

मेषशृङ्गःmeṣaśṛṅga (a plant/tree; lit. 'ram's horn')

चand

तथाand likewise

कीचकवेणवःkīcaka bamboos/reeds

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyu (Wind-god)

Nyagrodha (banyan tree)

Jambu tree

Pippala (Aśvattha) tree

Śālmali tree

Śiṃśapā tree

Meṣaśṛṅgī (plant)

Kīcaka bamboo (veṇu)

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 underscores the ordered variety of creation by listing significant trees and plants; such catalogues in the Mahābhārata commonly support ethical and ritual reflection—recognizing what sustains life, what is venerable, and how dharma is aligned with the natural order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu-deva is speaking and enumerates a set of well-known trees and bamboos. The list functions as part of a broader explanatory or instructive passage (typical of divine discourse) where natural categories are cited to clarify a point about the world, conduct, or ritual propriety.