Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अत पज्चत्रिशर्दाधिकद्वधिशततमो< ध्याय: ब्राह्मणके कर्तव्यका प्रतिपादन करते हुए कालरूप नदको पार करनेका उपाय बतलाना व्यास उवाच त्रयीं विद्यामवेक्षेत वेदेषूक्तामथाड्रत: । ऋषकसामवर्णाक्षरतो यजुषो5थर्वणस्तथा

Transliteration

Vyāsa uvāca: trayīṁ vidyām avekṣeta vedeṣūktām athādrataḥ | ṛk-sāma-varṇākṣarato yajuṣo ’tharvaṇas tathā ||

Translation

Vyāsa sprach: „Mit disziplinierter Aufmerksamkeit soll man das dreifache heilige Wissen, wie es in den Veden gelehrt wird, betrachten—es anhand der Worte und Silben des Ṛg und des Sāma zu prüfen und ebenso anhand der Worte und Silben des Yajus und des Atharvan. Ein solch sorgfältiges Studium der offenbarten Rede gilt als Mittel zu rechter Lebensführung und zum Überschreiten des gefährlichen ‘Flusses’ der Zeit.“

Word by Word

त्रयीम्the triad (threefold sacred lore)

विद्याम्knowledge, learning

अवेक्षेतshould examine/consider

वेदेषुin the Vedas

उक्ताम्stated, spoken (therein)

अथthen, and

व्रतःone of vowed conduct; a disciplined person

ऋक्the Ṛg-veda (Ṛk)

सामthe Sāma-veda

वर्णsyllable/sound; letter (varṇa)

अक्षरतःletter by letter; syllable-wise

यजुषःof the Yajur-veda

अथand then; also

अथर्वणःof the Atharva-veda

तथाlikewise, in the same way

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Vedas

Ṛ

Ṛgveda

Sāmaveda

Yajurveda

Atharvaveda

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Diligent, disciplined contemplation of Vedic knowledge—down to precise words, letters, and syllables—is upheld as a foundation for right conduct and as a spiritual means to transcend the binding flow of Time.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa begins an instruction on what a brāhmaṇa should do, pointing to careful Vedic study (Ṛg, Sāma, Yajus, Atharvan) as the method that supports dharma and enables one to ‘cross’ the formidable current of kāla.