Shloka 40

Ahaṃkāra as the Second Creation: Brahmā’s Cosmological Instruction (अहंकार-प्राधान्येन सृष्टिवर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार श्रीमह्ाभारत आश्वमेधिकपव॑के अन्तर्गत अनुगीतापर्वनें गुरु-शिष्य- संवादविषयक चालीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ

Transliteration

Iti prakāraḥ Śrīmahābhārate Āśvamedhikaparvaṇi antargata Anugītāparvaṇi guru-śiṣya-saṃvāda-viṣayakaś catvāriṃśattamo 'dhyāyaḥ pūrṇaḥ.

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ ശ്രീമഹാഭാരതത്തിലെ അശ്വമേധികപർവ്വാന്തർഗതമായ അനുഗീതാപർവ്വത്തിൽ ഗുരു-ശിഷ്യസംവാദവിഷയകമായ നാല്പതാം അധ്യായം സമാപ്തമായി।

Word by Word

इतिthus

प्रकारम्manner, way

श्रीमहाभारतम्the Mahabharata (glorious)

आश्वमेधिकपर्वणिin the Ashvamedhika Parva

अन्तर्गतincluded, contained

अनुगीतापर्वणःof the Anugita-parvan

गुरुशिष्यसंवादविषयकःconcerning the guru-disciple dialogue

चालीसवःfortieth

अध्यायःchapter

पूरःcomplete

अभवत्was, became (was completed)

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śrī Mahābhārata

Āśvamedhika Parva

Anugītā Parva

guru

śiṣya

Vāyudeva (as speaker heading)

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

This line functions as a colophon rather than a doctrinal verse: it highlights the Mahābhārata’s ethical pedagogy by framing the completed unit as a guru–śiṣya dialogue, underscoring that dharma is learned through disciplined instruction, inquiry, and faithful transmission.

What is happening in the narrative?

The text is formally closing the fortieth chapter of the Anugītā section within the Āśvamedhika Parva. It marks the end of a teacher–disciple dialogue segment, serving as an editorial/narrative boundary before the next chapter proceeds.