Shloka 4
अद्यैव ते सम्प्रयाता: समैर्वत्मभिरस्थलै: । गुणज्येष्ठास्तथा श्रेष्ठा: श्रेयांसो यद् वयं परै:,“आज वे पाण्डव समान मार्गोंसे, जिनपर आये हुओंकी भीड़के कारण जगह नहीं रही है, वनको चले जा रहे हैं। हमलोग अपने प्रतिपक्षियोंसे गुण और अवस्था दोनोंमें बड़े हैं। अतः हमारा स्थान उनसे बहुत ऊँचा है
adyaiva te samprayātāḥ samair vatmabhir asthalaiḥ | guṇajyeṣṭhās tathā śreṣṭhāḥ śreyāṃso yad vayaṃ paraiḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Even today they have set out, taking the level routes that have become crowded and leave no open ground. For we are superior to our opponents—greater in merit and seniority; therefore our standing is higher than theirs.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how claims of superiority based on merit and seniority can be used to justify status and entitlement. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame, such self-assertion is morally precarious: true śreyas (the higher good) depends on dharma and restraint, not merely on birth, rank, or proclaimed excellence.
The speaker reports that “they” have already departed, taking the common, level routes that are crowded. The statement then contrasts “us” with “the opponents,” asserting greater merit and seniority and therefore a higher standing—reflecting the tense political-moral atmosphere surrounding the Pāṇḍavas’ departure toward the forest.