Shloka 22

असंतोषादिदोष-निरूपणम्

On the Faults of Discontent and the Discipline of Detachment

Devanagari script

यस्तु वाचं विजानाति बहुमानमियात्‌ स वै । ब्रह्म॒भावप्रपन्नानां वैद्यानां भावितात्मनाम्‌,जो ब्रह्मभावको प्राप्त हुए शुद्धात्मा विद्वानोंका-सा बोलना जान लेता है, उसे अपने ज्ञानपर बड़ा अभिमान हो जाता है (जैसे कि तुम हो)

Transliteration

yastu vācaṃ vijānāti bahumānam iyāt sa vai | brahmabhāvaprapannānāṃ vaidyānāṃ bhāvitātmanām ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „Wer gelernt hat, die Rede zu verstehen und zu führen wie jene reinherzigen, gezügelten Kenner, die im Zustand Brahmans Zuflucht genommen haben, der verfällt leicht in große Selbstgefälligkeit über sein eigenes Wissen.“

Word by Word

यःwho

तुbut/indeed

वाचम्speech/utterance

विजानातिknows/understands

बहुमानम्high esteem/pride

इयात्would attain/go to

सःhe

वैindeed/certainly

ब्रह्मभावप्रपन्नानाम्of those who have resorted to the state of Brahman

वैद्यानाम्of the learned/experts

भावितात्मनाम्of those whose selves are purified/discipled

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Brahman (brahma-bhāva)

learned sages/knowers (vaidyāḥ)

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?

Even refined, ‘sage-like’ speech and learning can become a cause of ego; true wisdom requires humility and vigilance against pride.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s ethical instruction setting, Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on the moral danger that accompanies learning—especially when one imitates the speech and demeanor of realized, purified sages.