Mahabharata 3.202.24 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 202, Shloka 24

पञ्चमहाभूतगुण-इन्द्रियनिग्रह-उपदेशः | Teaching on the Qualities of the Five Elements and Sense-Control

Devanagari script

एवं स्तुतो हृषीकेश उत्तड़केन महात्मना

Transliteration

evaṁ stuto hṛṣīkeśa uttaḍakena mahātmanā

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ മഹാത്മാവായ ഉത്തങ്കൻ സ്തുതിച്ചപ്പോൾ ഹൃഷീകേശൻ (ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണൻ) ആ ഭക്തിസ്തുതിയെ സ്വീകരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्
• Form: Avyaya (indeclinable)

• स्तुतः: praised
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle; masculine nominative singular

• हृषीकेशः: Hrishikesha (Krishna)
• हृषीकेशः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृषीकेश
• Form: Masculine nominative singular

• उत्तड़केन: by Uttadaka (name)
• उत्तड़केन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तड़क
• Form: Masculine instrumental singular

• महात्मना: by the great-souled (one)
• महात्मना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine instrumental singular

Speaker

उत्तडुक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Hṛṣīkeśa (Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu)
• Uttaduka

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical-spiritual principle that sincere praise and reverent approach (stuti offered by a mahātman) is an appropriate and efficacious way to seek divine attention and guidance; devotion is portrayed as a dignified, dharmic mode of relationship with the divine.

What is happening in the narrative?

Uttaduka has just completed praising Hṛṣīkeśa (Kṛṣṇa). This line functions as a transition: it marks that the deity has been duly eulogized by a noble person, preparing the scene for the next action—typically a response, boon, instruction, or further dialogue.