Shloka 38
Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 5 — Karmaphala-Nirdeśa and Phalāśruti (कर्मफलनिर्देशः फलश्रुतिश्च)
ऐश्व॒र्ये वर्तता चैव सांख्ययोगवता तथा । नैकतन्त्रविबुद्धेन दृष्टवा दिव्येन चक्षुषा,सर्वज्ञ, विधिविधानके ज्ञाता, धर्मज्ञ, साधु, इन्द्रियातीत ज्ञानसे सम्पन्न, शुद्ध, तपके प्रभावसे पवित्र अन्तःकरणवाले, ऐश्वर्यसम्पन्न, सांख्य एवं योगके विद्वान् तथा अनेक शास्त्रोंके पारदर्शी मुनिवर व्यासजीने दिव्य दृष्टिसे देखकर महात्मा पाण्डवों तथा अन्य प्रचुर धनसम्पन्न महातेजस्वी राजाओंकी कीर्तिका प्रसार करनेके लिये इस इतिहासकी रचना की है
aiśvarye vartatā caiva sāṅkhyayogavatā tathā | naikatantravibuddhena dṛṣṭvā divyena cakṣuṣā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Endowed with spiritual majesty, established in Sāṅkhya and Yoga, and awakened to many branches of sacred learning, the sage Vyāsa—seeing with divine vision—composed this history so that the fame of the great-souled Pāṇḍavas and of other radiant kings rich in wealth might be spread abroad. The work is thus presented as a dharma-grounded record, authored by one who knows the ordinances of right conduct and whose inner being is purified by ascetic power.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames the Mahābhārata as a dharma-oriented sacred history authored by a spiritually accomplished seer. It emphasizes that true authority in transmitting ethical narrative comes from inner purity (tapas), disciplined wisdom (Sāṅkhya-Yoga), and comprehensive learning, so that the exemplary fame (kīrti) of righteous figures may guide later generations.
Vaiśampāyana describes Vyāsa’s qualifications—spiritual power, mastery of Sāṅkhya and Yoga, and multi-śāstra expertise—and states that, using divine sight, Vyāsa composed this history to spread the renown of the Pāṇḍavas and other illustrious kings.