Shloka 13
Adhyāya 348: Nāga–Nīgabhāryā Saṃvāda on Anger, Hope, and Ethical Response
धर्मान् नानाविधांश्वैव को ब्रूयात् तमृते प्रभुम्,भगवानके सिवा दूसरा कौन ऐसा है, जो नाना प्रकारके धर्मोका वर्णन कर सके? तुम्हारा यह महान् यज्ञ, जैसा कि तुमने संकल्प कर रकक््खा है, निरन्तर चालू रहे। तुमने अश्वमेध-यज्ञ करनेका संकल्प लिया है और सब धर्मोका यथार्थ रूपसे श्रवण किया है
vaiśampāyana uvāca | dharmān nānāvidhāṁś caiva ko brūyāt tam ṛte prabhum | bhagavān eva … |
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Quem, senão o próprio Senhor, poderia expor as muitas e variadas formas do dharma? Que este teu grande sacrifício—empreendido com firme resolução—prossiga sem interrupção. Tu fizeste o voto de realizar o Aśvamedha e ouviste o verdadeiro ensinamento do dharma em sua forma adequada.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes that dharma has many forms and nuances, and that only the highest authority—“the Lord” (prabhu/bhagavān)—is fully competent to expound it without error. It also affirms the ethical-religious seriousness of a king’s vow (saṅkalpa) and the importance of receiving dharma correctly through attentive hearing (śravaṇa).
Vaiśampāyana, continuing the Śānti Parva discourse, praises the unique authority of the supreme teacher to describe diverse dharmas and blesses the continuation of the listener’s great sacrifice. The context points to a royal undertaking—specifically the Aśvamedha—framed as proceeding after the king has heard a comprehensive and accurate exposition of dharma.