Shanti Parva Adhyaya 38 Shloka 22 - Mahabharata | Oriya | Vedapath

Vyasa

Shloka 22

शान्ति पर्व (अध्याय 38): युधिष्ठिरस्य राजधर्म-जिज्ञासा तथा भीष्मोपसर्पण-प्रस्तावना | Shanti Parva Chapter 38: Yudhishthira’s Inquiry into Rajadharma and the Prelude to Approaching Bhishma

Devanagari script

निःशब्दे च स्थिते तत्र ततो विप्रजने पुन: । राजानं ब्राह्मणच्छय््या चार्वाको राक्षसो<ब्रवीत्‌

Transliteration

niḥśabde ca sthite tatra tato viprajane punaḥ | rājānaṃ brāhmaṇacchāyā cārvāko rākṣaso 'bravīt ||

Translation

ସେଠାରେ ସମସ୍ତେ ନିଃଶବ୍ଦ ହୋଇ ଦାଁଡ଼ି ରହିଲେ ଏବଂ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣସମୂହ ମଧ୍ୟ ପୁନଃ ନିରବ ହେଲା; ତେବେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣର ଛଦ୍ମବେଶ ଧାରଣ କରିଥିବା ଚାର୍ବାକ ନାମକ ରାକ୍ଷସ ରାଜା ଯୁଧିଷ୍ଠିରଙ୍କୁ ସମ୍ବୋଧନ କରିବାକୁ ଉଦ୍ୟତ ହେଲା।

Word by Word

निःशब्देin silence / when (it was) silent

चand

स्थितेhaving stood / being (in a state)

तत्रthere

ततःthen / thereafter

विप्रजनेamong the Brahmin people/assembly

पुनःagain / further

राजानम्the king

ब्राह्मणच्छाय्याwith the guise/appearance of a Brahmin

चार्वाकःCharvaka (name)

राक्षसःthe demon

अब्रवीत्said / spoke

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Cārvāka

Yudhiṣṭhira

Brāhmaṇas

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?

The verse highlights that outward signs of sanctity or authority can be counterfeit; dharma requires viveka (discernment) so that a king or community is not misled by appearances.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the brāhmaṇas fall silent in the assembly, the rākṣasa Cārvāka, disguised as a brāhmaṇa, steps forward to speak to King Yudhiṣṭhira, setting up a moment of moral and political testing.