Shloka 35

Devanagari script

आदित्यस्तेजसां श्रेष्ठो गिरीणां हिमवान्‌ वर: । जातीनां ब्राह्मण: श्रेष्ठ: श्रेष्टस्त्व्मसि धन्विनाम्‌

Transliteration

ādityas tejasāṃ śreṣṭho girīṇāṃ himavān varaḥ | jātīnāṃ brāhmaṇaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ śreṣṭhas tvam asi dhanvinām ||

Translation

సంజయుడు అన్నాడు—తేజస్సులలో ఆదిత్యుడు (సూర్యుడు) శ్రేష్ఠుడు; పర్వతాలలో హిమవంతుడు శ్రేష్ఠుడు; జాతులలో బ్రాహ్మణుడు శ్రేష్ఠుడు; అలాగే ధనుర్ధరులలో నీవే శ్రేష్ఠుడు.

Word by Word

• आदित्यः: the Sun (Aditya)
• आदित्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तेजसाम्: of luminous things / of splendors
• तेजसाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• श्रेष्ठः: best, foremost
• श्रेष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गिरीणाम्: of mountains
• गिरीणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• हिमवान्: Himavat (the Himalaya)
• हिमवान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वरः: excellent, best
• वरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जातीनाम्: of classes / of castes / of kinds
• जातीनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रेष्ठः: best, foremost
• श्रेष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रेष्ठः: best, foremost
• श्रेष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• असि: are
• असि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धन्विनाम्: of archers / of bowmen
• धन्विनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन्विन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Āditya (Sun)
• Himavān (Himalaya)
• Brāhmaṇa
• dhanvin (bowmen/archers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Excellence is illustrated through culturally accepted exemplars (Sun among lights, Himalaya among mountains, Brāhmaṇa among jāti-s), culminating in the assertion of the addressed warrior’s supremacy among archers—praise used to steady confidence and affirm role-based dharma in the context of battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, delivers a laudatory comparison that elevates the addressed bowman as the foremost among dhanvins, using a sequence of well-known superlatives to intensify encouragement amid the Kurukṣetra war setting.