Shanti Parva Adhyaya 157 Shloka 2 - Mahabharata | German | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 2

The Thirteen Inner Adversaries (Trayodaśa Doṣāḥ): Origins and Pacification

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच हिमवत्पृष्ठज: कश्चिच्छाल्मलि: परिवारवान्‌ । बृहन्मूलो बृहच्छाय: स त्वां वायोडवमन्यते

Transliteration

nārada uvāca himavatpṛṣṭhajaḥ kaścit chālmaliḥ parivāravān | bṛhanmūlo bṛhacchāyaḥ sa tvāṁ vāyodavamanyate ||

Translation

Nārada sprach: „Am rückwärtigen Hang des Himalaya steht ein gewisser Śālmalī-Baum (Seidenwollbaum), umgeben von großem Gefolge. Seine Wurzeln breiten sich weit und breit aus, und sein Schatten ist gewaltig und dicht. Jener Baum, o Windgott, verachtet dich und beleidigt dich.“

Word by Word

नारदःNarada

उवाचsaid

हिमवत्of Himavat (the Himalaya)

पृष्ठजःborn on the back/slope

कश्चित्a certain

शाल्मलिःsilk-cotton tree (śālmali)

परिवारवान्having a retinue/family (surrounded by many)

बृहन्मूलःhaving great roots

बृहच्छायःhaving a great (broad) shade

सःhe/that (tree)

त्वाम्you

वायोO Vayu (Wind-god)

अवमन्यतेdisrespects/insults

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Vāyu (Wind-god)

Himavat (Himalaya)

Śālmali tree

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 sets up an ethical lesson about arrogance born of size, status, or support: even one who seems powerful (with vast roots, shade, and a ‘retinue’) can fall into contempt for others, and such disrespect invites correction and humility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Narada addresses Vāyu and points out a particular śālmali tree on the Himalayan slope—grand, well-supported, and expansive—which is said to be insulting the Wind-god. This functions as the provocation that leads into the ensuing episode and its moral resolution.