Shloka 13

Devanagari script

ग्राम्याणां पुरुषा: श्रेष्ठा: सिंहाश्वारण्यवासिनाम्‌ | सर्वेषामेव भूतानामन्योन्येनोपजीवनम्‌,ग्रामवासी पशु और मनुष्योंमें मनुष्य श्रेष्ठ हैं और वनवासी पशुओंमें सिंह श्रेष्ठ हैं। समस्त प्राणियोंका जीवन-निर्वाह एक-दूसरेके सहयोगसे होता है

Transliteration

grāmyāṇāṃ puruṣāḥ śreṣṭhāḥ siṃhāśvārṇyavāsinām | sarveṣām eva bhūtānām anyonyenopajīvanam ||

Translation

ଗ୍ରାମ୍ୟ (ଗାଁରେ ବସୁଥିବା) ମନୁଷ୍ୟ ଓ ପଶୁମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ମନୁଷ୍ୟ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ; ଏବଂ ଅରଣ୍ୟବାସୀ ପଶୁମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ସିଂହ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ। ପ୍ରକୃତରେ, ସମସ୍ତ ପ୍ରାଣୀଙ୍କର ଜୀବନ-ନିର୍ବାହ ପରସ୍ପର ସହାୟତାରେ ହୁଏ—ଏକେ ଅନ୍ୟର ଆଶ୍ରୟରେ ବଞ୍ଚେ।

Word by Word

ग्राम्याणाम्of village(-dwelling beings)

पुरुषाःmen/humans

श्रेष्ठाःare the best

सिंहाःlions

अश्वhorse

आरण्यवासिनाम्of forest-dwellers

सर्वेषाम्of all

एवindeed/only

भूतानाम्of living beings/creatures

अन्योन्येनby one another / mutually

उपजीवनम्subsistence/livelihood

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

human beings (puruṣāḥ)

lion (siṃha)

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?

All beings sustain themselves through mutual dependence; life is maintained by cooperation and interconnected support, which frames an ethical vision of society and nature.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya offers a general observation about hierarchy and excellence (humans among village-dwellers, the lion among forest creatures) and then draws a broader principle: the world functions through reciprocal support among living beings.