Shloka 16
Adhyāya 62: Sañjaya’s Admonition to Dhṛtarāṣṭra on Rāja-dharma and Consequence
देवासुरा नरा यक्षा गन्धर्वोरगपक्षिण:,वहाँ देवता, असुर, मनुष्य, यक्ष, गन्धर्व, नाग, पक्षी तथा वेद-वेदांगोंके पारंगत विद्वान् ब्राह्मण एवं ऋषि भी पधारे थे; किंतु वहाँ कोई मनुष्य ऐसे नहीं थे जो विद्वान न हों
devāsurā narā yakṣā gandharvoragapakṣiṇaḥ
Narada said: “There were present gods and asuras, human beings, yakṣas, gandharvas, nāgas, and birds. Indeed, even Brahmins and ṛṣis thoroughly versed in the Vedas and the Vedāṅgas had assembled there. Yet among those gathered, there was no human who was not learned.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical prestige of learning and scriptural mastery: even amid a vast, multi-species assembly, the human participants are characterized by vidyā (learning), implying that true human excellence is measured by knowledge, discipline, and Vedic cultivation rather than mere birth or presence.
Nārada describes a grand gathering where beings from many realms—devas, asuras, humans, yakṣas, gandharvas, nāgas, and birds—have arrived. He emphasizes that the humans present are not ordinary; they are all learned, alongside Brahmins and ṛṣis proficient in the Vedas and Vedāṅgas.