Shloka 23
कुरुवंशप्रश्नः—दुःषन्तस्य राजधर्मवर्णनम्
Kuru Lineage Inquiry and the Portrait of King Duḥṣanta’s Rule
धर्मशास्त्रमिदं पुण्यमर्थशास्त्रमिदं परम् मोक्षशास्त्रमिदं प्रोक्तं व्यासेनामितबुद्धिना,अमित मेधावी व्यासजीने इसे पुण्यमय धर्मशास्त्र, उत्तम अर्थशास्त्र तथा सर्वोत्तम मोक्षशास्त्र भी कहा है
dharmaśāstram idaṃ puṇyam arthaśāstram idaṃ param | mokṣaśāstram idaṃ proktaṃ vyāsena amitabuddhinā ||
Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Esta obra sagrada es un tratado puro de dharma; es también una excelente guía de artha (el bienestar mundano legítimo y el buen gobierno); y Vyāsa, de intelecto inconmensurable, la ha declarado asimismo una enseñanza de mokṣa (liberación).»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents the Mahābhārata as a comprehensive śāstra: it instructs in dharma (ethical and social order), artha (practical welfare and governance), and mokṣa (spiritual liberation), thereby framing the epic as an authoritative guide for both worldly life and ultimate aims.
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, the text is being formally praised and characterized: he attributes to Vyāsa the declaration that this work is not merely a story but a multi-dimensional teaching encompassing moral duty, practical statecraft, and liberation.