Shloka 27

Vṛtra’s Cosmic Threat, Viṣṇu’s Upāya, and the Conditional Vulnerability

Udyoga-parva 10

Devanagari script

शल्य उवाच महर्षिवचन श्रुत्वा तानुवाच महाद्युति: । अवश्यं भगवन्तो मे माननीयास्तपस्विन:

Transliteration

śalya uvāca: maharṣivacanaṁ śrutvā tān uvāca mahādyutiḥ | avaśyaṁ bhagavanto me mānanīyās tapasvinaḥ ||

Translation

శల్యుడు అన్నాడు—రాజా! మహర్షుల వచనాలు విని మహాతేజస్సుగలవాడు వారితో ఇలా అన్నాడు—‘భగవన్! మీలాంటి తపస్వి మహాత్ములు నిశ్చయంగా నాకు పూజ్యులు, గౌరవనీయులు.’

Word by Word

शल्यःShalya

उवाचsaid

महर्षि-वचनम्the sage's words

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

तान्them

उवाचsaid

महाद्युतिःthe great-splendoured one

अवश्यम्certainly, necessarily

भगवन्तःvenerable ones, revered persons

मेof me, my

माननीयाःto be honored, worthy of respect

तपस्विनःascetics

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śalya

Maharṣis (great sages)

Tapasvins (ascetics)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That dharma includes honoring spiritual merit: those who practice tapas and speak as seers deserve respect, and a righteous person acknowledges their authority with humility.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing the counsel or statements of great sages, the illustrious figure (as reported by Śalya) responds by affirming that the ascetics are unquestionably worthy of his honor, signaling deference to their moral and spiritual standing.