Shloka 26

Devanagari script

धर्ममेव गुरु ज्ञात्वा करोमि द्विजसत्तम । अलन्हद्रित: सदा विप्र शुश्रूषां वै करोम्पहम्‌,विप्रवर! इस प्रकार माता-पिताकी सेवारूप धर्मको ही महान्‌ मानकर मैं उसका पालन करता हूँ। ब्रह्म! आलस्य छोड़कर मैं सदा इन्हीं दोनोंकी सेवामें लगा रहता हूँ

Transliteration

dharmam eva guruṃ jñātvā karomi dvijasattama | alasyam utsṛjya sadā vipra śuśrūṣāṃ vai karomy aham ||

Translation

Охотник сказал: «О лучший из дважды-рождённых, зная, что лишь Дхарма — мой истинный учитель, я живу по ней. Отринув леность, о брахман, я всегда занят служением — воистину, я непрестанно предаюсь внимательному уходу и почитанию.»

Word by Word

धर्मम्dharma, duty

एवindeed, only

गुरुम्as (my) teacher/elder; as most important

ज्ञात्वाhaving known/considered

करोमिI do / I perform

द्विजसत्तमO best of the twice-born (brahmin)

अलन्धृतःnot slackened / not negligent (i.e., without laziness)

सदाalways

विप्रO brahmin

शुश्रूषाम्service, attendance

वैindeed, surely

करोमिI do / I perform

अहम्I

Speaker

व्याध उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyādha (the hunter, speaker)

Brāhmaṇa (addressed as dvijasattama/vipra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is treated as the highest authority, and its practical expression here is steady, non-lazy service (śuśrūṣā), especially the duty of caring for one’s parents; ethical greatness is shown through conduct, not social status.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the dialogue, the hunter instructs a brāhmaṇa, explaining his own way of life: he has made Dharma his guide and continually practices it through devoted service, emphasizing disciplined effort over idleness.