Shloka 85

Devanagari script

अथर्वाड़िरसी होषा श्रुतीनामुत्तमा श्रुति: । अविचार्यव कार्यषा श्रेयस्कामैनरै: सदा,जिसके देवता अथर्वा और अंगिरा हैं, ऐसी एक श्रुति है, जो सब श्रुतियोंमें उत्तम है। अपनी भलाई चाहनेवाले मनुष्योंको सदा बिना विचारे ही इस श्रुतिके अनुसार बर्ताव करना चाहिये

Transliteration

atharvāṅgirasī hoṣā śrutīnām uttamā śrutiḥ | avicāryaiva kartavyā śreyaskāmair naraiḥ sadā ||

Translation

Vāyu said: “There is a sacred utterance belonging to Atharvan and Aṅgiras—an instruction counted as the highest among the śrutis. Those who seek their true welfare should always act in accordance with it, without wavering in over-deliberation.”

Word by Word

अथर्वाङ्गिरसीthe Atharva-Aṅgirasa (Vedic) recension/śruti

इयम्this

श्रुतीनाम्of (all) śrutis / Vedic revelations

उत्तमाthe best, supreme

श्रुतिःśruti, revelation

अविचार्यwithout deliberating / without considering

कार्यःto be done / should be done

श्रेयस्कामैःby those desiring welfare/the good

नरैःby men, by people

सदाalways

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyu (Vāyudeva)

Atharvan

Aṅgiras

Śruti

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse elevates a particular Atharvan–Aṅgiras tradition as a supreme śruti and urges those who seek lasting good (śreyas) to follow its directive as a clear duty—steadfastly, without paralyzing hesitation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva speaks as an authoritative voice, invoking Vedic legitimacy (śruti) to ground ethical conduct: he points to a revered injunction and frames obedience to it as the reliable path to welfare.