Shloka 12
Adhyāya 348: Nāga–Nīgabhāryā Saṃvāda on Anger, Hope, and Ethical Response
कृष्णद्वैपायनं व्यासं विद्धि नारायणं भुवि । को हान्य: पुरुषव्याप्र महाभारतकृद् भवेत्
kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaṃ vyāsaṃ viddhi nārāyaṇaṃ bhuvi | ko hy anyaḥ puruṣavyāghra mahābhārata-kṛd bhavet, puruṣasiṃha |
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Ketahuilah Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa sebagai Nārāyaṇa sendiri di bumi ini. Sebab siapa lagi, wahai harimau di antara manusia, yang dapat menjadi penggubah Mahābhārata selain Sang Bhagavān?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts that Vyāsa should be recognized as Nārāyaṇa incarnate on earth, implying that the Mahābhārata carries divine authority and is meant to guide conduct (dharma) rather than serve as mere entertainment or history.
Vaiśampāyana, while narrating, elevates Vyāsa’s status and underscores the epic’s sanctity by declaring that only the Lord could be its true author, addressing the listener with honorific epithets (‘tiger/lion among men’).