Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 763

Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda

Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity

Devanagari script

वृद्धगार्ग्यों महातेजास्तानेवं वाक्यमब्रवीत्‌ । पितरोंका यह भाषण सुनकर तपस्याके धनी महातेजस्वी वृद्धगार्ग्यके शरीरमें रोमांच हो आया और उनसे इस प्रकार पूछा--

Transliteration

vṛddhagārgyo mahātejās tān evaṃ vākyam abravīt | pitaroṃ kā yaḥ bhāṣaṇa sunakara tapasyā ke dhanī mahātejasvī vṛddhagārgya ke śarīra meṃ romāñca ho āyā aura unse isa prakāra pūchā—

Translation

Vṛddha Gārgya, a great ascetic radiant with spiritual power, addressed them with these words. Hearing the speech of the Pitṛs (ancestral fathers), the mighty Vṛddha Gārgya—rich in austerity—was thrilled with reverent awe, and he questioned them in this manner.

Word by Word

• वृद्धगार्ग्यः: the aged Gārgya (Vṛddha-Gārgya)
• वृद्धगार्ग्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धगार्ग्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महातेजाः: of great splendor
• महातेजाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महातेजस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• वाक्यम्: speech/words
• वाक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vṛddha Gārgya
• Pitṛs (ancestral fathers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights reverent receptivity to ancestral wisdom: a disciplined ascetic, upon hearing the Pitṛs, responds with humility and inquiry—implying that dharma is approached through attentive listening, inner transformation, and respectful questioning.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the Pitṛs speak, the sage Vṛddha Gārgya is moved with spiritual awe (romāñca) and then addresses them, beginning a question that continues in the subsequent lines.