Shloka 8

Sahadeva on Attachment (mamatā), ‘mameti/na mameti’, and the Middle Path of Conduct

Devanagari script

तस्मादेकान्तमुत्सृज्य पूर्व: पूर्वतरैश्न यः । पन्था निषेवित: सद्धिः स निषेव्यो विजानता,इसलिये विज्ञ पुरुषको एकान्तमें रहनेका विचार छोड़कर पूर्ववर्ती तथा अत्यन्त पूर्ववर्ती श्रेष्ठ पुरुषोंने जिस मार्गका सेवन किया है, उसीका आश्रय लेना चाहिये

Transliteration

tasmād ekāntam utsṛjya pūrvaḥ pūrvataraiś ca yaḥ | panthā niṣevitaḥ sadbhiḥ sa niṣevyo vijānatā ||

Translation

Darum soll der Einsichtige den Gedanken an völlige Zurückgezogenheit aufgeben und vielmehr den Pfad beschreiten, den frühere, ja noch urältere edle Männer geübt haben. Dieser von den Guten bereits begangene Weg ist es, den der wahrhaft Verständige ergreifen soll.

Word by Word

तस्मात्therefore/from that

एकान्तम्solitude/being alone

उत्सृज्यhaving abandoned/given up

पूर्वःformer/earlier

पूर्वतरैःby the still earlier (ones)

नnot

यःwhich/who

पन्थाःpath/way

निषेवितःpractised/followed

सद्भिःby the good/virtuous (people)

सःthat (path)

निषेव्यःto be followed/should be practised

विजानताby one who knows/by the wise

Speaker

सहदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sahadeva

sadbhiḥ (the virtuous/elders as a class)

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Do not treat solitary withdrawal as the highest ideal by itself; a wise person should adopt the proven dharmic path practiced by virtuous predecessors, using tradition and exemplary conduct as guidance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sahadeva is offering counsel in the Shanti Parva’s ethical-discursive setting, emphasizing that right conduct is learned by following the established way of noble elders rather than pursuing isolated, self-chosen seclusion.