Anushasana Parva Adhyaya 146 Shloka 100 - Mahabharata | Sanskrit | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 100

Rudra-Śiva: Names, Two Natures, and the Logic of Epithets (रुद्रनाम-बहुरूपत्व-प्रकरणम्)

Devanagari script

मृगनिर्मोकवसनाश्चलीरवल्कलवासस: । निर्दन्द्धा:सत्पथं प्राप्ता वालखिल्यास्तपोधना:

Transliteration

mṛga-nirmoka-vasanāś ca cīra-valkala-vāsasaḥ | nirdvandvāḥ satpathaṃ prāptā vālakhilyās tapodhanāḥ ||

Translation

मृगनिर्मोकवसनाश्च चीरवल्कलवाससः। निर्द्वन्द्वाः सत्पथं प्राप्ता वालखिल्यास्तपोधनाः॥

Word by Word

मृगनिर्मोकवसनाःthose whose clothing is (made of) deer-slough

चand

चीरवल्कलवाससःthose whose garments are rags and bark-cloth

निर्द्वन्द्वाःfree from pairs of opposites

सत्पथम्the good path

प्राप्ताःhaving attained / having reached

वालखिल्याःthe Vālakhilya sages

तपोधनाःrich in austerity (whose wealth is tapas)

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śrī Maheśvara (Śiva)

Vālakhilya sages

mṛgacarma/nirmoka (deer hide)

cīra (rag-cloth)

valkala (bark-cloth)

satpatha (the true path)

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?

True spiritual wealth is tapas (austerity and disciplined practice), supported by freedom from dualities (heat/cold, pleasure/pain) and a life aligned with the satpatha, the righteous and truthful path, rather than dependence on possessions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Maheśvara describes the Vālakhilya ascetics, emphasizing their extreme simplicity in dress (deer hide, rags, bark-cloth) and their inner attainment—equanimity and steadfast movement on the true path—presenting them as exemplars of rigorous dharmic practice.