Shloka 20

Devanagari script

आत्मनो व्यापिनो ज्ञानमिदं पुत्रानुशासनम्‌ | प्रयताय प्रवक्तव्यं हितायानुगताय च,बेटा! यह उपदेश व्यापक आत्माका ज्ञान करानेवाला है। जो संयतचित्त, हितैषी और अनुगत भक्त हो, उसीके समक्ष इसका वर्णन करना चाहिये

Transliteration

ātmano vyāpino jñānam idaṃ putrānuśāsanam | prayatāya pravaktavyaṃ hitāyānugatāya ca ||

Translation

Vyāsa dijo: «Hijo mío, esta instrucción es una enseñanza destinada a despertar el conocimiento del Sí mismo que todo lo penetra. Debe exponerse solo a quien sea disciplinado y atento, a quien busque el bien del oyente y sea un devoto seguidor, para que sea guía provechosa y no mera palabra.»

Word by Word

आत्मनःof the Self

व्यापिनःall-pervading

ज्ञानम्knowledge

इदम्this

पुत्रO son

अनुशासनम्instruction, teaching

प्रयतायto/for the disciplined (self-controlled) person

प्रवक्तव्यम्should be spoken/expounded

हितायfor (his) welfare

अनुगतायto/for the devoted follower (obedient one)

चand

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

son (putra, addressed listener)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets a rule of eligibility (adhikāra) for transmitting Self-knowledge: instruction about the all-pervading ātman should be given only to a disciplined, well-intentioned, and devoted follower, so that the teaching is received properly and used for welfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa, in the didactic setting of the Śānti Parva, frames a spiritual instruction as a ‘son’s guidance’ and cautions that such knowledge should be communicated selectively—only to a prepared and faithful listener.