Shloka 2

Devanagari script

एष चैव स्वभावो मे पूजयेयं द्विजानिति । तव चैव प्रियं कार्य श्रेयश्ष परमं मम,यह मेरा स्वभाव ही है कि मैं ब्राह्मणोंकी सेवा-पूजा करूँ और आपका प्रिय करना तो मेरे लिये परम कल्याणकी बात है ही

Transliteration

eṣa caiva svabhāvo me pūjayeyaṃ dvijān iti | tava caiva priyaṃ kāryaṃ śreyas tu paramaṃ mama ||

Translation

இருபிறப்பினரை (பிராமணர்களை) போற்றி சேவிப்பது என் இயல்பே. மேலும் உமக்கு இனியதைக் செய்வதே எனக்கு உச்ச நன்மை.

Word by Word

एषःthis

चand

एवindeed/just

स्वभावःnature/character

मेof me/my

पूजयामिI worship/honor

द्विजान्Brahmins (twice-born)

इतिthus (quotative)

तवof you/your

चand

एवindeed/just

प्रियम्what is pleasing/dear

कार्यम्to be done/ought to be done

श्रेयःthe good/welfare

चand

परमम्supreme/highest

ममof me/my

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

dvija (twice-born/brāhmaṇas)

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?

The verse frames dharma as an inner disposition: honoring the dvijas (especially brāhmaṇas) is presented as the speaker’s svabhāva, and fulfilling what is dear to a respected person is identified as one’s highest śreyas—ethical and spiritual welfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a character expresses a principled resolve: serving and honoring brāhmaṇas is natural to him, and he considers pleasing the addressed person a supreme good—signaling deference, duty, and the prioritization of righteous conduct in the ongoing episode.