Shloka 17

Devanagari script

यथा ब्रवीति धर्मात्मा मुनि: सत्यवतीसुत: । तथा कुरु महाराज स हि नः परमो गुरु:,“महाराज! परम धर्मात्मा सत्यवतीनन्दन महर्षि व्यासजी आपको जैसी सलाह देते हैं, वैसा ही कीजिये; क्योंकि वे हम सब लोगोंके परम गुरु हैं

Transliteration

yathā bravīti dharmātmā muniḥ satyavatīsutaḥ | tathā kuru mahārāja sa hi naḥ paramo guruḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana disse: “Ó grande rei, age exatamente como te instrui o sábio justo, Vyāsa, filho de Satyavatī. Pois ele é, de fato, o mestre supremo de todos nós.”

Word by Word

यथाas, just as

ब्रवीतिspeaks, says

धर्मात्माthe righteous-souled one

मुनिःthe sage

सत्यवतीसुतःson of Satyavatī (Vyāsa)

तथाso, in that manner

कुरुdo (you)

महाराजO great king

सःhe

हिindeed, for

नःof us, our

परमःsupreme, highest

गुरुःteacher, guru

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vyāsa (Satyavatī’s son)

Mahārāja (the king addressed)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that ethical action for a ruler should be guided by the counsel of a proven dharmic authority—here, Vyāsa—whose spiritual insight and moral standing make him a supreme teacher for all.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana urges the king being addressed to follow Vyāsa’s advice exactly, emphasizing Vyāsa’s status as the paramount guru and thus legitimizing his guidance in the unfolding events of the Āśramavāsika narrative.