Vana Parva Adhyaya 316 Shloka 56 - Mahabharata | French | Vedapath

Vyasa

Shloka 56

Devanagari script

यक्षने पूछा--खेती करनेवालोंके लिये कौन-सी वस्तु श्रेष्ठ है? बिखेरने (बोने) वालोंके लिये क्या श्रेष्ठ है? प्रतिष्ठाप्राप्त धनियोंके लिये कौन-सी वस्तु श्रेष्ठ है? तथा संतानोत्पादन करनेवालोंके लिये क्या श्रेष्ठ है? ।।

Transliteration

yakṣena pṛcchā—kheti-karaṇavālebhyaḥ kā vastū śreṣṭhā? bījam nivapatāṃ (bījānāṃ vikiraṇakartṝṇāṃ) kim śreṣṭham? pratiṣṭhāprāpta-dhanināṃ kā vastū śreṣṭhā? tathā santānotpādana-kartṝṇāṃ kim śreṣṭham? || yudhiṣṭhira uvāca—varṣam āvapatāṃ śreṣṭhaṃ, bījam nivapatāṃ varam | gāvaḥ pratiṣṭhamānānāṃ, putraḥ prasavatāṃ varaḥ ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira répondit : «Pour les cultivateurs, la pluie est le bien suprême ; pour ceux qui sèment, la semence est la meilleure. Pour les riches solidement établis, le bétail est le meilleur appui ; et pour ceux qui désirent une descendance, un fils est le meilleur.»

Word by Word

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

उवाचsaid

वर्षम्rain

आवपताम्of those who sow (cultivate)

श्रेष्ठम्best

बीजम्seed

निवपताम्of those who scatter/sow

वरम्best, excellent

गावःcows

प्रतिष्ठमानानाम्of those who are established/possessed of standing (wealthy, reputable)

पुत्रःa son

प्रसवताम्of those who beget/produce offspring

वरःbest

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yakṣa

Yudhiṣṭhira

rain (varṣa)

seed (bīja)

cows/cattle (gāvaḥ)

son (putra)

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?

Each pursuit has a fitting ‘best’ support: agriculture depends on rain, sowing depends on seed, stable prosperity is anchored in cattle (a durable, sustaining form of wealth), and family continuity is fulfilled through offspring—here expressed as ‘son’ in the traditional dharma context.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Yakṣa-prashna sequence of Vana Parva, the Yakṣa tests Yudhiṣṭhira with pointed questions. This verse records one such exchange, where Yudhiṣṭhira answers by linking practical life-goals to their essential enabling conditions.