Mahabharata — Ashvamedhika Parva, Shloka 28

Arjuna’s request to Krishna and the opening of the Kāśyapa–Brāhmaṇa mokṣa discourse (Āśvamedhika-parva 16)

Devanagari script

तस्मै तुष्ट: स शिष्याय प्रसन्नो वाक्यमत्रवीत्‌ | सिद्धि परामभिप्रेक्ष्य शृणु मत्तो जनार्दन

Transliteration

tasmai tuṣṭaḥ sa śiṣyāya prasanno vākyam abravīt | siddhiṃ parām abhiprekṣya śṛṇu matto janārdana ||

Translation

ਸ਼ਿਸ਼੍ਯ ਉੱਤੇ ਪ੍ਰਸੰਨ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਉਸ ਸਿੱਧ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ—“ਪਰਮ ਸਿੱਧੀ ਨੂੰ ਦ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਰੱਖ ਕੇ, ਹੇ ਜਨਾਰਦਨ, ਮੇਰੇ ਕੋਲੋਂ ਸੁਣ।”

Word by Word

• {'tasmai': 'to him', 'tuṣṭaḥ': 'satisfied, pleased', 'saḥ': 'he', 'śiṣyāya': 'to the disciple', 'prasannaḥ': 'serene, favorably disposed, gracious', 'vākyam': 'speech, statement, instruction', 'abravīt': 'said, spoke', 'siddhim': 'accomplishment

• spiritual attainment', 'parām': 'supreme, highest', 'abhiprekṣya': 'having looked toward

• considering', 'śṛṇu': 'listen', 'mattaḥ': 'from me', 'janārdana': 'Janārdana (an epithet of Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana
• disciple (śiṣya)
• sage/teacher (implied speaker)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames instruction aimed at parā-siddhi—the highest spiritual attainment—emphasizing receptive listening and guidance given from a pleased teacher to a disciple.

What is happening in the narrative?

A teacher-sage, satisfied with his disciple, begins a formal counsel. He addresses Janārdana and invites him to listen as the discourse turns toward the means and vision of supreme attainment.