Shanti Parva Adhyaya 336 Shloka 31 - Mahabharata | Lao | Vedapath

Vyasa

Shloka 31

एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline

Devanagari script

एकाग्रमनसो दान्‍्ता मुनय: संयमे रता: । भूतभव्यभविष्यज्ञा: सत्यधर्मपरायणा:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | ekāgramanaso dāntā munayaḥ saṃyame ratāḥ | bhūtabhavyabhaviṣyajñāḥ satyadharmaparāyaṇāḥ |

Translation

ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: “ຣິຊີເຫຼົ່ານັ້ນມີໃຈຈົດຈໍ່ເປັນອັນດຽວ, ສຳລວມຕົນ, ແລະຍິນດີໃນວິໄນແຫ່ງການຄວບຄຸມ. ພວກທ່ານຮູ້ສິ່ງທີ່ເຄີຍເປັນ, ທີ່ກຳລັງເປັນ, ແລະທີ່ຈະເປັນ; ແລະຍືນຫມັ້ນໃນຄວາມຈິງ ແລະທຳ.”

Word by Word

एकाग्र-मनसःof one-pointed mind, concentrated

दान्ताःself-controlled, tamed

मुनयःsages

संयमेin restraint, in self-discipline

रताःengaged, devoted

भूत-भव्य-भविष्य-ज्ञाःknowers of past, present, and future

सत्य-धर्म-परायणाःwholly devoted to truth and dharma

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Munis (sages)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ethical authority rests on inner discipline: true sages are defined by concentration, mastery of the senses, commitment to restraint, and unwavering dedication to truth and dharma—qualities that make their insight reliable.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Shanti Parva, Bhishma is instructing Yudhishthira on dharma and higher principles; here he characterizes the sages (munis) by their ascetic virtues and their comprehensive knowledge of time (past, present, future).