Shloka 28

Devanagari script

तथैव पृथिवीं लब्ध्वा ब्राह्म॒णा वेदपारगा: । संश्रिता दानवानां वै साहाार्थ दर्पमोहिता:,भारत! इसी प्रकार पृथ्वीको भी अपने अधीन करके देवताओंने तीनों लोकोंमें शालावृक नामसे विख्यात उन अद्बासी हजार ब्राह्मणोंका भी वध कर डाला, जो वेदोंके पारज्गत विद्वान थे और अभिमानसे मोहित होकर दानवोंकी सहायताके लिये उनके पक्षमें जा मिले थे

Transliteration

tathaiva pṛthivīṃ labdhvā brāhmaṇā vedapāragāḥ | saṃśritā dānavānāṃ vai sahārtha-darpamohitāḥ ||

Translation

तसेच पृथ्वी जिंकून देवांनी वेदपारंगत ब्राह्मणांनाही ठार केले; जे दर्पाने मोहित होऊन दानवांचा आश्रय घेऊन त्यांच्या साहाय्यासाठी त्यांच्या बाजूने उभे राहिले होते.

Word by Word

तथाthus, in the same way

एवindeed, just

पृथिवीम्the earth

लब्ध्वाhaving obtained

ब्राह्मणाःBrahmins

वेदपारगाःthose who have gone to the far shore of the Vedas; fully learned in the Vedas

संश्रिताःhaving taken refuge; having resorted to

दानवानाम्of the Danavas (demons)

वैindeed, surely

सहायार्थम्for the purpose of help; as assistance

दर्पमोहिताःdeluded by pride

भारतO Bharata

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Devas (gods)

Dānavas

Brāhmaṇas (Veda-knowers)

Pṛthivī (Earth)

Śālāvṛka (name/designation)

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?

Vedic learning and status do not protect one who abandons dharma: pride (darpa) and self-interest (artha) can delude even the learned, and aligning with unrighteous forces leads to downfall.

What is happening in the narrative?

After subduing the earth, the Devas kill a group of a thousand forest-dwelling Brahmins, renowned as Śālāvṛka, because they had taken refuge with the Dānavas and supported them, driven by pride and the pursuit of advantage.