Anushasana Parva Adhyaya 81 Shloka 1 - Mahabharata | Telugu | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 1

गोशकृन्माहात्म्य-प्रश्नः (On the Merit of Cow-Dung and the Abode of Śrī) / Inquiry into the Sanctity of Cow-Dung

Devanagari script

ऑपन--माजल छा टॉस: अष्टसप्ततितमो< ध्याय: वसिष्ठका सौदासको गोदानकी विधि एवं महिमा बताना भीष्म उवाच एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु वसिष्ठमृषिसत्तमम्‌ | इक्ष्वाकुवंशजो राजा सौदासो वदतां वर:

Transliteration

Bhīṣma uvāca | etasminn eva kāle tu vasiṣṭham ṛṣisattamam | ikṣvākuvaṃśajo rājā saudāso vadatāṃ varaḥ ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—రాజా! ఆ సమయమున ఇక్ష్వాకువంశజుడైన సౌదాస రాజు—వక్తలలో శ్రేష్ఠుడు—సర్వలోక సంచారియైన, వైదికజ్ఞాన నిధియైన, సిద్ధుడూ సనాతనుడైన ఋషిశ్రేష్ఠ వసిష్ఠుని (తన పురోహితుని) నమస్కరించి, ఈ విధంగా ప్రశ్నించసాగెను.

Word by Word

एतस्मिन्in this

एवindeed/just

कालेat the time

तुbut/and

वसिष्ठम्Vasiṣṭha

ऋषि-सत्तमम्the best of sages

इक्ष्वाकु-वंश-जःborn in the Ikṣvāku lineage

राजाking

सौदासःSaudāsa

वदताम्of speakers/of those who speak

वरःbest/excellent

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Vasiṣṭha

Saudāsa

Ikṣvāku dynasty

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical model of governance: a king, even if eloquent and powerful, seeks guidance from a foremost sage, implying that righteous rule (dharma) is grounded in humility and consultation with learned spiritual authorities.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma begins a new episode by introducing King Saudāsa of the Ikshvaku line, who approaches the sage Vasiṣṭha and initiates a set of questions that will lead into the chapter’s instruction.