Shloka 44

Devanagari script

हंस उवाच स्वाध्याय एषां देवत्वं व्रतं साधुत्वमुच्यते । असाधुत्वं परीवादो मृत्युमनुष्यमुच्यते,हंसने कहा--साध्यगण! वेद-शास्त्रोंका स्वाध्याय ही ब्राह्मणोंका देवत्व है। उत्तम व्रतोंका पालन करना ही उनमें साधुता बतायी जाती है। दूसरोंकी निन्दा करना ही उनकी असाधुता है और मृत्युको प्राप्त होना ही उनकी मनुष्यता बतायी गयी है

Transliteration

haṁsa uvāca | svādhyāya eṣāṁ devatvaṁ vrataṁ sādhutvam ucyate | asādhutvaṁ parīvādo mṛtyum anuṣyam ucyate ||

Translation

ハンサは言った。「これらのバラモンにとって、スヴァーディヤーヤ—ヴェーダの学習と誦読—こそが『神性』である。誓戒（ヴラタ）を守ることが、彼らの善と聖行と呼ばれる。人をそしることは彼らの不善と宣せられ、死に服することが彼らの人間としてのありさまだと言われる。」

Word by Word

हंसःthe Swan (Hamsa)

उवाचsaid

स्वाध्यायःself-study (of Veda)

एषाम्of these (people)

देवत्वम्divinity, godhood

व्रतम्vow, observance

साधुत्वम्goodness, saintliness

उच्यतेis said/declared

असाधुत्वम्badness, lack of virtue

परीवादःslander, censure

मृत्युम्death

मनुष्यम्human state / humanity

उच्यतेis said/declared

Speaker

हंस उवाच

Characters & Entities

Haṃsa

Brahmins (implied by the context of svādhyāya and dharma)

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 defines a moral hierarchy for Brahmin conduct: Vedic self-study is their true ‘divinity’, disciplined observance of vows is their saintliness, slander is their moral downfall, and mortality marks their human limitation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, the Haṃsa speaks as a teacher, offering concise ethical definitions—praising svādhyāya and vrata as ideals while condemning parīvāda (slander) and reminding that all remain subject to death.