Mahabharata 3.201.1 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 201, Shloka 1

Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

#:73:.8 #:23:.7 () हि 2 7 द्विशततमो<्ध्याय: निन्दित दान

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: śrutvā sa rājā rājarṣer indradyumnasya tat tadā | mārkaṇḍeyān mahābhāgāt svargasya pratipādanam ||

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Habiendo oído entonces del muy afortunado gran sabio Mārkaṇḍeya el relato acerca del rey Indradyumna y su acceso al cielo, aquel rey lo meditó en toda su hondura.

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaiśampāyana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Active

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजर्षेः: of the royal sage
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• इन्द्रद्युम्नात्: from Indradyumna
• इन्द्रद्युम्नात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रद्युम्न
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• तत्: that (account/statement)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• मार्कण्डेयात्: from Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• महाभागात्: from the greatly fortunate (one)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभाग
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• स्वर्गस्य: of heaven
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• प्रतिपादनम्: the exposition/description (of attainment)
• प्रतिपादनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिपादन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Indradyumna
• Svarga

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a dharma-instructional episode: the listener-king receives Mārkaṇḍeya’s authoritative exposition about Indradyumna and the attainment of svarga, implying that righteous conduct and properly understood merit-bearing acts lead to elevated spiritual outcomes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that a king has just heard from the sage Mārkaṇḍeya an account concerning the royal sage Indradyumna and the matter of heaven; this serves as a transition into (or continuation of) a broader ethical discourse.