Mahabharata 3.201.86 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 201, Shloka 86

Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

सर्वे नानुगतं चैनं दारुणा: पिशिताशना: । घोररूपा महाकाया धर्षयन्ति द्विजोत्तमम्‌,भयंकर रूप और विशाल शरीरवाले, समस्त क्रूरकर्मा, मांसभक्षी राक्षस भी गायत्रीजपपरायण उस श्रेष्ठ द्विजपर आक्रमण नहीं कर सकते

Transliteration

sarve nānugataṃ cainaṃ dāruṇāḥ piśitāśanāḥ | ghorarūpā mahākāyā dharṣayanti dvijottamam ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira disse: “Todos aqueles rākṣasas selvagens, comedores de carne—terríveis de forma e de corpo gigantesco—são incapazes de atacar este melhor dos duas-vezes-nascidos. Sua firmeza no japa sagrado o torna inatingível.”

Word by Word

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अनुगतम्: approached / followed (gone after)
• अनुगतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुगत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दारुणाः: cruel / dreadful
• दारुणाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दारुण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पिशिताशनाः: flesh-eaters
• पिशिताशनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशिताशन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• घोररूपाः: of terrible form
• घोररूपाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोररूप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महाकायाः: huge-bodied
• महाकायाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाकाय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• धर्षयन्ति: assault / violate / attack
• Type: Verb
• Root: धर्ष्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• द्विजोत्तमम्: the best of the twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विजोत्तमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजोत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• rākṣasas
• dvijottama (an eminent brāhmaṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the protective power of dharmic discipline—especially mantra-japa and brahminical restraint—suggesting that inner spiritual force can neutralize external violence and keep even cruel beings from transgressing.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira describes a situation where terrifying, flesh-eating rākṣasas are present, yet they cannot successfully assail an eminent brāhmaṇa (described in the Gītā Press context as devoted to Gāyatrī-japa), indicating the brāhmaṇa’s spiritual inviolability.