Shloka 18

अनुक्रमणिकाध्यायः (Anukramaṇikā Adhyāya) — Invocation, Narrator Frame, and Textual Scope

Devanagari script

तस्याख्यानवरिष्ठस्य विचित्रपदपर्वण: । सूक्ष्मार्थन्याययुक्तस्य वेदार्थभ्रूषितस्य च

Transliteration

tasyākhyānavariṣṭhasya vicitrapadaparvaṇaḥ | sūkṣmārthanyāyayuktasya vedārthabhrūṣitasya ca

Translation

นั่นเป็นอาขยานอันประเสริฐยิ่ง จัดวางเป็นตอนและบทด้วยถ้อยคำหลากล้ำชวนพิศวง เปี่ยมด้วยนัยอันละเอียดและเหตุผลอันชอบธรรม อีกทั้งประดับด้วยสาระแห่งพระเวท

Word by Word

• तस्य: of that (it)
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• आख्यान-वरिष्ठस्य: of the best among narratives
• आख्यान-वरिष्ठस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आख्यानवरिष्ठ
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• विचित्र-पद-पर्वणः: of (one) having wondrous words and sections
• विचित्र-पद-पर्वणः: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्रपदपर्वन्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• सूक्ष्म-अर्थ-न्याय-युक्तस्य: of (one) endowed with subtle meanings and reasoning
• सूक्ष्म-अर्थ-न्याय-युक्तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूक्ष्मार्थन्याययुक्त
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• वेद-अर्थ-भ्रूषितस्य: of (one) adorned with the meaning of the Vedas
• वेद-अर्थ-भ्रूषितस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेदार्थभ्रूषित
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents the Mahābhārata as a supreme ethical and intellectual text: it combines refined literary form with subtle meaning, disciplined reasoning (nyāya), and alignment with Vedic purport—implying that dharma is to be understood through both revelation and careful reflection.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the opening of the Ādi Parva, the text is being introduced and praised. This verse continues the eulogy of the Mahābhārata’s qualities—its varied composition, sectional organization, depth of meaning, logical coherence, and Vedic grounding.