Shloka 17

Atithi-prāpti and the Brāhmaṇa’s Deliberation on Triadic Dharma (अतिथिप्राप्तिः धर्मत्रयविचारश्च)

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच अहो गूढतम: प्रश्नस्त्वया पृष्टो जनेश्वर । नातप्ततपसा होष नावेदविदुषा तथा

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca: aho gūḍhatamaḥ praśnas tvayā pṛṣṭo janeśvara | nātaptatapasā hoṣa nāvedaviduṣā tathā ||

Translation

ໄວສັມປາຍະນ ກ່າວວ່າ: “ໂອ! ຈອມເຈົ້າແຫ່ງມະນຸດ, ຄຳຖາມທີ່ທ່ານຖາມນັ້ນເປັນຄຳຖາມທີ່ລຶກລັບຢ່າງຍິ່ງ. ເລື່ອງນີ້ບໍ່ອາດເຂົ້າໃຈໄດ້ໂດຍຜູ້ທີ່ບໍ່ໄດ້ຜ່ານຕະປະສະ (austerity), ແລະກໍບໍ່ອາດເຂົ້າໃຈໄດ້ເຊັ່ນກັນໂດຍຜູ້ທີ່ບໍ່ແທ້ຈິງໃນຄວາມຮູ້ແຫ່ງເວດ.”

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

अहोah! indeed!

गूढतमःmost secret / most profound

प्रश्नःquestion

त्वयाby you

पृष्टःasked

जन-ईश्वरO lord of men

नnot

आतप्त-तपसाby (one) whose austerity is performed / by performed austerity

होःyou are

नnot

अवेद-विदुषाby one ignorant of the Veda / by a non-Veda-knower

तथाthus; in that way

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

janeśvara (a king/ruler being addressed)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse stresses that the deepest ethical and spiritual questions (gūḍhatama praśna) require inner discipline (tapas) and authoritative understanding (Vedic learning). Profound dharma is not merely intellectual; it is realized through purification, practice, and right instruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Vaiśampāyana responds to a ruler’s inquiry by acknowledging its exceptional depth and indicating that such knowledge is accessible only to those prepared by austerity and true learning—signaling that an elevated teaching is about to follow.