Shloka 83

Devanagari script

वाचको भरतमश्रेष्ठ व्यक्ताक्षरपदस्वर: | भविष्यं श्रावयेद्‌ विद्वान्‌ भारतं भरतर्षभ

Transliteration

vācako bharataśreṣṭha vyaktākṣarapadasvaraḥ | bhaviṣyaṃ śrāvayed vidvān bhārataṃ bharatarṣabha ||

Translation

वाचको भरतश्रेष्ठ व्यक्ताक्षरपदस्वरः । भविष्यं श्रावयेद्विद्वान् भारतं भरतर्षभ ॥

Word by Word

• वाचकः: reciter, narrator
• वाचकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाचक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भरतमश्रेष्ठः: best of the Bharatas
• भरतमश्रेष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरतमश्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• व्यक्त: clear, distinct
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यक्त
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अक्षर: syllable, letter
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पद: word, foot (of verse)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• स्वरः: accent, tone, vowel-sound
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भविष्यम्: the Bhaviṣya (section/Parvan), future
• भविष्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भविष्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्रावयेत्: should cause to hear, should recite
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (णिच्)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, true

• विद्वान्: a learned man
• विद्वान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्वस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भारतं: the Mahābhārata
• भारतं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• भरतर्षभ: O bull among the Bharatas
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरतर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhārata (Mahābhārata)
• Bharatas (dynastic lineage)
• Bhaviṣya (section/tradition, associated with Harivaṃśa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches the dharma of recitation: sacred narrative should be transmitted by a learned narrator with precise pronunciation—clear syllables, words, and accents—so that meaning and tradition are preserved without distortion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana lays down a guideline about how the Bhārata should be publicly recited: the storyteller must be competent and articulate, and should recite the epic (and related ‘Bhaviṣya’ material) in a clear, disciplined manner.