Shloka 2
Adhyāya 26 — Ekākṣara-Brahman (“Om”) and the Hṛdayastha Guru
Inner Teacher
एको गुरुर्नास्ति ततो द्वितीयो यो हृच्छयस्तमहमनुब्रवीमि । तेनानुशिष्टा गुरुणा सदैव पराभूता दानवा: सर्व एव,एक ही गुरु है दूसरा नहीं। जो हृदयमें स्थित है, उस परमात्माको ही मैं गुरु बतला रहा हूँ। उसी गुरुक अनुशासनसे समस्त दानव हार गये हैं
eko gurur nāsti tato dvitīyo yo hṛcchayaḥ tam aham anubravīmi | tenānuśiṣṭā guruṇā sadaiva parābhūtā dānavāḥ sarva eva ||
“There is but one Guru—there is no second. The One who abides hidden within the heart, that Supreme Self I declare to be the true teacher. Guided by that Guru’s constant discipline, all the Dānavas were utterly defeated.”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the ultimate and unsurpassed Guru is the indwelling Supreme Self (Paramātman) seated in the heart; true guidance comes from aligning oneself with that inner divine discipline rather than seeking an ultimate authority elsewhere.
A brāhmaṇa speaker proclaims a doctrinal point within the Ashvamedhika Parva: he identifies the heart-dwelling Supreme as the sole Guru and attributes the defeat of the Dānavas to obedience to that Guru’s continual instruction—framing victory as the fruit of divine inner governance.