Shanti Parva Adhyaya 284 Shloka 142 - Mahabharata | Hindi | Vedapath

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Shloka 142

Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment

Parāśara’s Instruction

Devanagari script

सदा चारक्षप्रियो धूर्तो गणाध्यक्षो गणाधिप: । रक्तमाल्याम्बरधरो गिरिशो गिरिकप्रिय:

Transliteration

sadā cārākṣapriyo dhūrto gaṇādhyakṣo gaṇādhipaḥ | raktamālyāmbaradharo giriśo girikpriyaḥ ||

Translation

भीष्म ने कहा— आप सदा चौसर (अक्ष) के प्रिय, धूर्त, गणाध्यक्ष और गणाधिप के नाम से प्रसिद्ध हैं। आप रक्त वस्त्र और लाल पुष्पों की माला धारण करते हैं; आप गिरिश—पर्वतों के स्वामी हैं और पर्वतों को प्रिय मानते हैं।

Word by Word

सदाalways

चाराक्षप्रियःfond of dice (lit. fond of the four-eyed/dice)

धूर्तःcunning, crafty

गणाध्यक्षःleader/president of the gaṇas

गणाधिपःlord of the gaṇas

रक्तमाल्या-अम्बरधरःwearing a red garland and garment

गिरिशःLord of the mountain (Śiva)

गिरिकप्रियःfond of mountains

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Shiva (Giriśa)

Gaṇas (Śiva’s attendants)

Dice (akṣa)

Red garland (raktamālya)

Red garments (rakta-ambara)

Mountains (giri)

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 functions as a devotional identification of Śiva through characteristic epithets and iconographic markers—lordship over the gaṇas, mountain-dwelling, and distinctive attire—emphasizing recognition of the divine through names, attributes, and symbols.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is describing and praising Śiva by listing well-known titles and traits (gaṇādhyakṣa, gaṇādhipa, giriśa, etc.), presenting a compact stuti-style portrait of the deity within the Śānti Parva discourse.