Mahabharata 9.51.226 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 51, Shloka 226

Vṛddha-kanyā-carita and Balarāma’s Kurukṣetra Inquiry (वृद्धकन्या-चरितम् / कुरुक्षेत्रफल-प्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

सारस्वतो महाभागे वेदानध्यापयिष्यति । “यह सारस्वत नामसे विख्यात महातपस्वी होगा। महाभागे! इस संसारमें बारह वर्षोतक जब वर्षा बंद हो जायगी, उस समय यह सारस्वत ही श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणोंको वेद पढ़ायेगा

Transliteration

sārasvato mahābhāge vedān adhyāpayiṣyati |

Translation

ไวศัมปายนะกล่าวว่า “โอ สตรีผู้ประเสริฐ ผู้มีบุญยิ่ง นักตบะผู้ยิ่งใหญ่ผู้นี้ซึ่งเลื่องชื่อว่า ‘สารัสวตะ’ จักสอนพระเวท ครั้นเมื่อในโลกนี้ฝนหยุดลงตลอดสิบสองปี เมื่อนั้นสารัสวตะผู้นี้เองจักอบรมพราหมณ์ผู้เลิศให้ถึงความรู้แห่งพระเวท”

Word by Word

• सारस्वतः: Sarasvata (a sage)
• सारस्वतः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारस्वत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महाभागे: O highly fortunate one
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• वेदान्: the Vedas
• वेदान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अध्यापयिष्यति: will teach (cause to study)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-आपय् (अध्यापय्)
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Sārasvata
• Vedas
• Brāhmaṇas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in times of severe societal crisis (a prolonged drought), dharma is sustained by preserving and transmitting sacred knowledge; the responsibility of teaching the Vedas is portrayed as a stabilizing ethical duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana foretells that the ascetic Sārasvata, famed by name, will become the key teacher of the Vedas to leading Brāhmaṇas during a twelve-year period when the rains fail.