Shloka 2

अध्याय २९७ — श्रेयः, धृति, दान-नियमाः

Welfare, Steadfastness, and Norms of Giving

Devanagari script

पिता परं दैवतं मानवानां मातुर्विशिष्टं पितरं वदन्ति । ज्ञानस्य लाभं॑ परम॑ वदन्ति जितेन्द्रियार्था: परमाप्नुवन्ति,पिता मनुष्योंके लिये सर्वश्रेष्ठ देवता है। कोई-कोई पिताको मातासे भी बढ़कर बताते हैं। श्रेष्ठ पुरुष ज्ञानके लाभको ही परम लाभ कहते हैं। जिन्होंने श्रोत्र आदि इन्द्रियों और शब्द आदि विषयोंपर विजय पा ली है, वे परमपदको प्राप्त होते हैं

Transliteration

pitā paraṁ daivataṁ mānavānāṁ mātur viśiṣṭaṁ pitaraṁ vadanti | jñānasya lābhaṁ paramaṁ vadanti jitendriyārthāḥ param āpnuvanti ||

Translation

パラーシャラは言った。「人々にとって父は最高の神格である。ある者は父を母よりも上とさえ言う。賢者は真の知を得ることこそ至上の利得と呼び、諸根とその対象を征服した者は最高の境地に到る。」

Word by Word

पिताfather

परम्supreme, highest

दैवतम्deity, divine being

मानवानाम्of humans

मातुःof the mother

विशिष्टम्distinguished, superior

पितरम्father

वदन्तिthey say

ज्ञानस्यof knowledge

लाभम्gain, attainment

परम्supreme

वदन्तिthey say

जितेन्द्रियार्थाःthose who have conquered the senses and their objects

परम्supreme (state)

आप्नुवन्तिthey attain

Speaker

पराशर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Parāśara

father (pitā)

mother (mātṛ)

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 elevates reverence for one’s father as a major dharmic duty, while also asserting that the highest human attainment is the gain of true knowledge; mastery over the senses and their objects is presented as the practical discipline that leads to the supreme state.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, the sage Parāśara is delivering ethical and spiritual counsel, linking social dharma (honoring parents, especially the father) with inner discipline (sense-control) and the ultimate goal (attaining the highest state through knowledge).