Shloka 4

Devanagari script

नमस्कृत्वा च गुरवे व्यासाय विदितात्मने । तपोयुक्ताय दान्ताय वन्द्याय परमर्षये,बहुत-से पुरुषोंकी उत्पत्तिका स्थान एक ही पुरुष कैसे बताया जाता है? यह समझानेके लिये आत्मज्ञानी, तपस्वी, जितेन्द्रिय एवं वन्दनीय परमर्षि गुरु व्यासजीको नमस्कार करके मैं तुम्हारे सामने अधिक गुणशाली विश्वात्मा पुरुषकी व्याख्या करूँगा

Transliteration

namaskṛtvā ca gurave vyāsāya viditātmane | tapoyuktāya dāntāya vandyāya paramarṣaye ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Après m’être prosterné devant mon maître Vyāsa—connaisseur du Soi, voué à l’austérité, maître de ses sens, digne de vénération, voyant suprême—je t’exposerai la doctrine du Puruṣa, le Soi universel (Viśvātman Puruṣa), tout-excellent, afin que l’on comprenne comment l’origine de nombreux êtres est dite reposer en une seule Personne.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'namaskṛtvā', 'definition': 'having saluted

• having bowed in reverence'}, {'term': 'guru', 'definition': 'teacher

• spiritual preceptor'}, {'term': 'vyāsa', 'definition': 'Vyāsa (Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana), sage and compiler of the Mahābhārata'}, {'term': 'viditātmane', 'definition': 'to one who has known the Self

• self-realized'}, {'term': 'tapo-yuktāya', 'definition': 'endowed with tapas

• devoted to austerity and disciplined practice'}, {'term': 'dāntāya', 'definition': 'to the self-controlled

• one who has subdued the senses'}, {'term': 'vandyāya', 'definition': 'worthy of veneration

• deserving homage'}, {'term': 'paramarṣaye', 'definition': 'to the supreme ṛṣi

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Vyāsa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a metaphysical explanation: although countless beings arise, their ultimate source can be described as one Universal Person/Self. The speaker grounds this teaching in reverence for a self-realized, disciplined guru, implying that such knowledge is transmitted through ethical restraint, tapas, and right guidance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana begins a doctrinal exposition in the Śānti Parva by first offering salutations to his teacher Vyāsa, praising his spiritual qualifications (self-knowledge, austerity, self-control). He then announces his intent to explain how many beings can be said to originate from a single principle/person.