Shloka 26

पञ्चमहाभूतगुण-इन्द्रियनिग्रह-उपदेशः | Teaching on the Qualities of the Five Elements and Sense-Control

Devanagari script

विष्णुरुवाच प्रीतस्तेडहमलौल्येन भकक्‍त्या तव च सत्तम

Transliteration

viṣṇur uvāca prītas te ’ham aloulyena bhaktyā tava ca sattama

Translation

Viṣṇu sprach: „O Bester der Tugendhaften, ich bin dir wohlgesinnt — wegen deiner Gierlosigkeit und deiner Hingabe.“

Word by Word

• विष्णुः: Vishnu
• विष्णुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular

• प्रीतः: pleased
• प्रीतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रीत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Dative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• अलौल्येन: by freedom from greed/eagerness
• अलौल्येन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलौल्यम्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• भक्त्या: by devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सत्तम: O best of the good
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

उत्तड्ुक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Uttanka (Uttaṅka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Divine favor is won not by power or display but by inner virtue—especially freedom from greed (aloulya) and sincere devotion (bhakti). The verse links ethical self-restraint with spiritual receptivity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Uttanka episode of the Vana Parva, Viṣṇu addresses Uttanka and declares his satisfaction, praising Uttanka’s non-covetousness and devotion—signaling divine approval and readiness to grant aid or a boon.