Shloka 2

Devanagari script

जड्घाभ्यां तु वसून्‌ देवानाप्नुयादिति नः श्रुतम्‌ । जानुभ्यां च महाभागान्‌ साध्यान्‌ देवानवाप्रुयात्‌

Transliteration

jaḍghābhyāṁ tu vasūn devān āpnuyād iti naḥ śrutam | jānubhyāṁ ca mahābhāgān sādhyan devān avāpruyāt ||

Translation

ଆମେ ଶୁଣିଛୁ—ଜଂଘାମାର୍ଗରେ ପ୍ରାଣ ବାହାରିଲେ ବସୁ-ଦେବତାମାନଙ୍କୁ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ହୁଏ; ଏବଂ ଜାନୁ (ଘୁଁଟି) ମାର୍ଗରେ ପ୍ରାଣତ୍ୟାଗ କଲେ ମହାଭାଗ୍ୟ ସାଧ୍ୟ-ଦେବତାମାନଙ୍କୁ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

जङ्घाभ्याम्by (means of) the shanks/legs

तुbut/indeed

वसून्the Vasus (a class of gods)

देवान्gods

आप्नुयात्would attain/should reach

इतिthus (quotative)

नःof us/our

श्रुतम्heard; it is heard/known

जानुभ्याम्by (means of) the knees

चand

महाभागान्great/fortunate, illustrious

साध्यान्the Sādhyas (a class of gods)

देवान्gods

अवाप्नुयात्would obtain/should attain

Speaker

याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yājñavalkya

Vasus

Sādhyas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse conveys a traditional mapping between parts of the body and specific divine attainments: merit associated with the thighs is said to lead to the realm/company of the Vasus, and merit associated with the knees to that of the Sādhyas. It reflects a ritual-cosmological symbolism where bodily loci correspond to graded spiritual results.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s didactic setting, the sage Yājñavalkya is presenting received tradition (śruti/smṛti-style teaching) about how particular observances or symbolic associations relate to attaining certain classes of gods, continuing a broader exposition on dharma and the structure of spiritual rewards.