Shloka 26

Devanagari script

नाषडडज्विदत्रासीत्‌ सदस्यस्तस्य धीमत: । नाव्रतो नानुपाध्यायो न च वादाविचक्षण:,बुद्धिमान्‌ राजा युधिष्ठिरके यज्ञका कोई भी सदस्य ऐसा नहीं था जो छहों अंगोंका विद्वान, ब्रह्मचर्य-व्रतका पालन करनेवाला, अध्यापनकर्ममें कुशल तथा वाद-विवादमें प्रवीण न हो

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca |

nāṣaḍaṅgavid atrāsīt sadasyas tasya dhīmataḥ |

nāvrato nānupādhyāyo na ca vādāvicakṣaṇaḥ ||

Translation

వైశంపాయనుడు పలికెను—ఆ ధీమంతుడైన రాజు యజ్ఞసభలో వేదానికి చెందిన షడంగాలలో అజ్ఞానుడైన సభ్యుడు ఎవడూ లేడు; వ్రతశూన్యుడూ లేడు; అధ్యాపనంలో అప్రవీణుడూ లేడు; వాదవివాదాలలో అనిపుణుడూ లేడు।

Word by Word

नnot

षडङ्गवित्knower of the six auxiliaries (Vedāṅgas)

इवas if/like

अत्रhere

आसीत्was

सदस्यःmember (of the assembly/ritual)

तस्यof him/of that

धीमतःof the wise/intelligent (one)

नnot

अव्रतःone without vows/undisciplined

नnot

अनुपाध्यायःone without a teacher; one not engaged in teaching (context-dependent)

नnot

चand

वादाविचक्षणःskilled in debate/disputation

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yudhiṣṭhira

sadas (sacrificial assembly)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ritual and public religious acts should be supported by integrity and competence: learning (mastery of Vedāṅgas), self-restraint (vrata), the ability to teach, and clarity in debate. Dharma is presented as a union of knowledge and conduct, not mere ceremony.

What is happening in the narrative?

During Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha-related proceedings, the narrator emphasizes the exceptional quality of the sacrificial assembly: every participant is portrayed as fully qualified—learned in Vedic auxiliaries, disciplined in vows, capable as an instructor, and adept in disputation.