Mahabharata — Shanti Parva, Shloka 34

Bhīṣma on the Śara-Śayyā: Yudhiṣṭhira and Kṛṣṇa Approach the Eldest for Śānti

Devanagari script

प्रतिलोमप्रसूतानां वर्णानां चैव य: स्मृत:

Transliteration

pratilomaprasūtānāṃ varṇānāṃ caiva yaḥ smṛtaḥ | deśa-jāti-kula-dharmāṇāṃ lakṣaṇaṃ caiva vettha ha | vedeṣu pratipāditānāṃ śiṣṭaiś ca kathitānāṃ dharmāṇāṃ ca sadā vidvān asi ||

Translation

ବୈଶମ୍ପାୟନ କହିଲେ—“ପ୍ରତିଲୋମ ସଂଯୋଗରୁ ଜନ୍ମିତ ବର୍ଣ୍ଣମାନଙ୍କ ଓ ତଦୁତ୍ପନ୍ନ ବର୍ଣ୍ଣସଂକରମାନଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ସ୍ମୃତିରେ ଯେ ଆଚାରନିୟମ କହାଯାଇଛି, ସେଥିରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ତୁମେ ଅପରିଚିତ ନୁହେଁ। ଦେଶ, ଜାତି ଓ କୁଳର ଧର୍ମମାନଙ୍କର ଲକ୍ଷଣ ତୁମେ ସ୍ପଷ୍ଟ ଭାବେ ଜାଣ। ଏବଂ ବେଦରେ ପ୍ରତିପାଦିତ ଓ ଶିଷ୍ଟଜନଙ୍କ ବାକ୍ୟ-ଆଚରଣରେ ପ୍ରମାଣିତ ଧର୍ମକୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ତୁମେ ଦୀର୍ଘକାଳ ଧରି ଜାଣିଆସିଛ।”

Word by Word

• प्रतिलोमप्रसूतानाम्: of those born from reverse (inter-varna) unions
• प्रतिलोमप्रसूतानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिलोम-प्रसूता
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• वर्णानाम्: of the varnas/classes
• वर्णानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• यः: which/that (dharma)
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्मृतः: is remembered/declared (in tradition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Veda
• Śiṣṭa (exemplary learned persons)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is understood through multiple authorities: Vedic teaching, Smṛti prescriptions, and the lived guidance of śiṣṭas (exemplary learned people), along with contextual duties tied to region, community, and lineage.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana emphasizes the listener’s competence in dharma-discourse, noting that the person addressed already knows even complex social-legal categories (mixed classes and ‘reverse-order’ births) and the markers of customary duties, preparing the ground for further instruction in Śānti Parva.