Shloka 87

अनुक्रमणिकाध्यायः (Anukramaṇikā Adhyāya) — Invocation, Narrator Frame, and Textual Scope

Devanagari script

इतिहासप्रदीपेन मोहावरणघातिना । लोकगर्भगृहं कृत्स्नं यथावत्‌ सम्प्रकाशितम्‌,यह भारत-इतिहास एक जाज्वल्यमान दीपक है। यह मोहका अन्धकार मिटाकर लोगोंके अन्तःकरण-रूप सम्पूर्ण अन्तरंग गृहको भलीभाँति ज्ञानालोकसे प्रकाशित कर देता है

Transliteration

itihāsapradīpena mohāvaraṇaghātinā | lokagarbhagṛhaṃ kṛtsnaṃ yathāvat samprakāśitam ||

Translation

By the lamp of sacred history—one that strikes down the veil of delusion—the entire inner chamber of the world, the heart within, is rightly and fully illuminated. Thus the Bhārata, as an itihāsa, dispels ignorance and brings clear understanding to human beings.

Word by Word

• {'itihāsa': 'traditional history

• sacred narrative conveying truth and instruction', 'pradīpa': 'lamp

• light that reveals', 'itihāsapradīpa': 'the lamp of itihāsa (history as illumination)', 'moha': 'delusion

• bewilderment that obscures discernment', 'āvaraṇa': 'covering

• obscuration', 'ghātin': 'destroying

• striking down', 'mohāvaraṇaghātinā': 'by that which destroys the veil of delusion', 'loka': 'world

• people collectively', 'garbha-gṛha': 'inner chamber

• here, the innermost heart/mind', 'kṛtsna': 'entire

• complete', 'yathāvat': 'properly

• in due manner', 'samprakāśita': 'fully illuminated

Characters & Entities

• Itihāsa (Bhārata/Mahābhārata)
• Pradīpa (lamp, metaphorical)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The Bhārata, as itihāsa, functions like a lamp: it removes the veil of delusion (moha) and reveals reality and dharma clearly within the human heart, guiding ethical discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the opening praise of the Mahābhārata’s value, the text is being described metaphorically as a powerful light that illuminates the inner world of people by dispelling ignorance, emphasizing its instructive purpose beyond mere storytelling.