Shloka 70

Atithi-prāpti and the Brāhmaṇa’s Deliberation on Triadic Dharma (अतिथिप्राप्तिः धर्मत्रयविचारश्च)

Devanagari script

एते वेदविदो मुख्या वेदाचार्याश्व कल्पिता: । प्रवृत्तिधर्मिणश्वैव प्राजापत्ये च कल्पिता:,'ये प्रधान वेदवेत्ता और प्रवृत्ति-धर्मावलम्बी हैं। इन सबको वेदाचार्य माना गया है और प्रजापतिके पदपर प्रतिष्ठित किया गया है

Transliteration

ete vedavido mukhyā vedācāryāś ca kalpitāḥ | pravṛttidharmiṇaś caiva prājāpatye ca kalpitāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Mereka inilah para pengenal Veda yang utama dan dipandang sebagai guru-guru Veda. Karena berpegang pada dharma pravṛtti, mereka juga dianggap tegak dalam prinsip Prajāpati—tatanan yang melahirkan dan menopang dunia.”

Word by Word

एतेthese

वेदविदःknowers of the Veda

मुख्याःchief, foremost

वेदाचार्याःteachers/masters of the Veda

चand

कल्पिताःappointed/considered

प्रवृत्तिधर्मिणःfollowers of the pravṛtti-dharma (active/engaged duty)

चand

एवindeed, just

प्राजापत्येin/at the Prajāpatya (state/office/realm of Prajāpati)

चand

कल्पिताःappointed/established

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Veda

Vedic teachers (vedācārya)

Prajāpati

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse affirms that true Veda-knowers, especially those who uphold pravṛtti-dharma (responsible action in society), are to be recognized as authoritative Vedic teachers and as aligned with the Prajāpati-oriented order that sustains creation and social continuity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, in the didactic discourse of the Śānti Parva, classifies and honors a group of learned persons: they are identified as foremost Veda-knowers, acknowledged as Vedic preceptors, and described as established in the Prajāpati principle—emphasizing their role in maintaining worldly and ritual order through active duty.