Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 166

Śatarudrīya-prabhāva and Rudra’s Supremacy (शतरुद्रीयप्रभावः)

Devanagari script

गिरिपृष्ठेषु रम्येषु व्याहरन्तो जनप्रिया: । वहाँके रमणीय पर्वतशिखरोंपर लोगोंको प्रिय लगनेवाली बोली बोलते हुए पक्षी प्रसन्नतासे युक्त हो नाचते और कलरव करते थे

Transliteration

giripṛṣṭheṣu ramyeṣu vyāharanto janapriyāḥ |

Translation

ਨਾਰਦ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਉੱਥੇ ਦੇ ਸੁਹਾਵਣੇ ਪਹਾੜੀ ਕਗਾਰਾਂ ਉੱਤੇ, ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਭਾਉਣ ਵਾਲੀ ਬੋਲੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਬੋਲਦੇ ਪੰਛੀ ਖੁਸ਼ੀ ਨਾਲ ਨੱਚਦੇ ਅਤੇ ਕਲਰਵ ਕਰਦੇ ਸਨ।

Word by Word

• गिरि-पृष्ठेषु: on the mountain-backs/slopes
• गिरि-पृष्ठेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिपृष्ठ
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• रम्येषु: in/among beautiful (places)
• रम्येषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• व्याहरन्तः: uttering/speaking
• व्याहरन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-आ-हृ (व्याहृ)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• जन-प्रियाः: dear to people, pleasing to people
• जन-प्रियाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जनप्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• mountain ridges (giripṛṣṭha)
• birds (implied by context of calls)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an ideal atmosphere of harmony: when the world is aligned with dharma, even nature appears orderly and pleasing—symbolized by sweet, people-delighting bird-calls on beautiful mountain heights.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada is describing a scenic setting on charming mountain ridges where birds call out pleasantly, creating a joyful soundscape that underscores the serenity of the place being depicted.