Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तस्मात्‌ सर्वप्रयत्नेन भारतं भरतर्षभ । शृणुयात्‌ सिद्धिमन्विच्छन्निह वामुत्र मानव:,भरतश्रेष्ठ] अत: इस लोक या परलोकमें सिद्धिकी इच्छा रखनेवाला मनुष्य पूर्ण प्रयत्नपूर्वक महाभारतको अवश्य सुने

Transliteration

tasmāt sarva-prayatnena bhārataṁ bharatarṣabha | śṛṇuyāt siddhim anvicchann iha vāmutra mānavaḥ ||

Translation

Ainsi donc, ô taureau parmi les Bharata, quiconque recherche l’accomplissement véritable—en ce monde ou dans l’autre—doit, avec un effort total, écouter le Mahābhārata.

Word by Word

तस्मात्therefore/from that

सर्वप्रयत्नेनwith all effort

भारतंthe Mahabharata

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas

शृणुयात्should hear/listen

सिद्धिम्success/perfection

अन्विच्छन्seeking

इहhere (in this world)

वाor

अमुत्रthere (in the other world)

मानवःa man/person

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhārata (Mahābhārata)

Bharatarṣabha (addressee: descendant of Bharata)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that attentive hearing of the Mahābhārata is itself a disciplined practice: one who desires siddhi (true attainment) should listen with full effort, gaining guidance for dharma and benefit both in this life and beyond.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, addressing a Bharata-descendant (the listener), gives an exhortation about the value of the epic itself—urging dedicated listening to the Mahābhārata as a means to attain success and spiritual good in both worlds.