Shloka 48
युधिछिर उवाच श्रुतेन श्रोत्रियो भवति तपसा विन्दते महत् | धृत्या द्वितीयवान् भवति बुद्धिमान् वृद्धसेवया,युधिष्ठिर बोले--वेदाध्ययनके द्वारा मनुष्य श्रोत्रिय होता है, तपसे महत्पद प्राप्त करता है, धर्यसे द्वितीयवान् (दूसरे साथीसे युक्त) होता है और वृद्ध पुरुषोंकी सेवासे बुद्धिमान् होता है
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | śrutena śrotriyo bhavati tapasā vindate mahat | dhṛtyā dvitīyavān bhavati buddhimān vṛddhasevayā |
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “By learning (sacred study) a person becomes a true śrotriya, grounded in the Veda; by austerity he attains greatness; by steadfastness he gains a ‘second’—support and companionship in adversity; and by serving the elders he becomes wise.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Four sources of human excellence are highlighted: sacred learning makes one truly educated (śrotriya), austerity yields greatness, steadfastness provides reliable support in hardship, and serving elders matures one’s discernment into wisdom.
In the Vana Parva’s reflective discourse, Yudhiṣṭhira articulates a compact ethical program for character-formation—linking study, tapas, inner firmness, and reverence for elders as practical means to attain virtue and stability during exile and trial.