Shloka 10

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 178 — Royal Contestants Assemble; Cosmic Witnesses; The Bow Remains Unstrung

Devanagari script

तं॑ तथा निश्चितात्मानं स महात्मा महातपा: । ऋषिर्त्रह्मविदां श्रेष्ठो मैत्रावरुणिरन्त्यधी:

Transliteration

taṁ tathā niścitātmānaṁ sa mahātmā mahātapāḥ | ṛṣir brahmavidāṁ śreṣṭho maitrāvaruṇir antyadhīḥ ||

Translation

Vendo-o assim, de decisão firme e senhor de si, aquele grande sábio de grandes austeridades—Maitrāvaruṇi, o primeiro entre os conhecedores de Brahman, de discernimento sutil e penetrante—dispôs-se a falar-lhe como convinha.

Word by Word

तम्him

तथाthus, in that manner

निश्चितात्मानम्one whose mind is resolved/firmly determined

सःhe

महात्माthe great-souled one

महातपाःthe great ascetic (of great austerity)

ऋषिःthe sage

ब्रह्मविदाम्of the knowers of Brahman

श्रेष्ठःthe best, foremost

मैत्रावरुणिःMaitrāvaruṇi (son/descendant of Mitra and Varuṇa; name of a sage)

अन्त्यधीःof final/ultimate understanding; of highest intellect

Speaker

गन्धर्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

ग

गन्धर्व (Gandharva, speaker)

म

मैत्रावरुणि (Maitrāvaruṇi, ṛṣi)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Steadfast inner resolve and self-mastery are presented as ethically significant virtues, recognized and validated by a foremost sage (a knower of Brahman). The verse links moral firmness with spiritual maturity and authoritative discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Gandharva describes how a great ascetic sage, Maitrāvaruṇi—renowned for Brahman-knowledge and keen intellect—observes someone who is firmly resolved and self-controlled, setting up the sage’s ensuing response or instruction.