Shloka 15

Devanagari script

एवं बहुविधा विप्रा: पुराणा यज्ञवाहना: । त्रैविद्यवृद्धा: शुचयो वृत्तवन्तो यशस्विन:,इस प्रकार बहुत-से ब्राह्मण पूर्वकालमें यज्ञका निर्वाह करते थे। वे वेदविद्याके ज्ञानमें बढ़े-चढ़े, पवित्र, सदाचारी और यशस्वी थे

Transliteration

evaṁ bahuvidhā viprāḥ purāṇā yajñavāhanāḥ | traividyavṛddhāḥ śucayo vṛttavanto yaśasvinaḥ ||

Translation

Kapila sprach: „So gab es in alter Zeit viele Arten von Brāhmaṇas, die die Opfertradition trugen und fortführten. Sie waren weit fortgeschritten in der dreifachen vedischen Lehre, rein im Wandel, standhaft in rechtem Lebensunterhalt und Zucht und berühmt wegen ihrer Tugend.“

Word by Word

एवम्thus, in this manner

बहुविधाःof many kinds, various

विप्राःbrahmins

पुराणाःancient, of old times

यज्ञवाहनाःbearers/performers who carry on sacrifices

त्रैविद्यवृद्धाःadvanced in the threefold Vedic learning

शुचयःpure, clean

वृत्तवन्तःof good conduct, well-behaved

यशस्विनःrenowned, glorious

Speaker

कपिल उवाच

Characters & Entities

Kapila

viprāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

yajña (sacrifice)

traividya (threefold Vedic learning)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse upholds an ethical ideal of learned leadership: true custodians of sacred tradition are marked not only by Vedic mastery (traividyavṛddha) but also by purity, disciplined livelihood, and earned reputation—knowledge and character must cohere.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kapila is describing exemplary brāhmaṇas of earlier times, portraying them as sustainers of yajña and models of learning and conduct, as part of a broader Shanti Parva discourse on dharma and right living.