Shloka 10
अध्याय ३५१ — उञ्छवृत्ति-व्रतसिद्धेः मानुषस्य परमगतिः
Sūrya–Nāga Dialogue on the Perfected Gleaner-Ascetic
कृत्वा भारतमाख्यानं तपःश्रान्तस्य धीमत: । शुश्रूषां तत्परा राजन् कृतवन्तो वयं तदा,वैशम्पायनजीने कहा--राजन्! मेरे धर्मिष्ठ गुरु वेदव्यास तपस्याकी निधि और ज्ञाननिष्ठ हैं। पहले वे वेदोंके अर्थका वास्तविक ज्ञान प्राप्त करनेकी इच्छासे हिमालयके एक शिखरपर रहते थे। ये महाभारत नामक इतिहासकी रचना करके तपस्या करते-करते थक गये थे। उन दिनों इन बुद्धिमान् गुरुकी सेवामें तत्पर हम पाँच शिष्य उनके साथ रहते थे। सुमन्तु, जैमिनि, दृढ़तापूर्वक उत्तम धर्मका पालन करनेवाले पैल, चौथा मैं और पाँचवें व्यासपुत्र शुकदेव थे
vaiśampāyana uvāca | kṛtvā bhāratam ākhyānaṃ tapaḥ-śrāntasya dhīmataḥ | śuśrūṣāṃ tat-parā rājan kṛtavanto vayaṃ tadā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O King, after the wise sage—wearied by austerities—had composed the great narrative of the Bhārata, we at that time devoted ourselves wholly to serving him.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights śuśrūṣā—devoted service and attentive care toward one’s teacher—as an ethical discipline that supports the preservation and transmission of sacred knowledge and history.
Vaiśampāyana tells the king that after the great Bhārata narrative was composed by the ascetic, wise teacher (implicitly Vyāsa), the disciples remained with him and served him devotedly.