Shanti Parva Adhyaya 156 Shloka 16 - Mahabharata | Thai | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 16

Satya-lakṣaṇa (The Characteristics and Forms of Truth) | सत्यलक्षणम्

Devanagari script

चन्दनै: स्यन्दनै: शालै: सरलैदेवदारुभि: । वेतसैर्धन्वनैश्लापि ये चान्ये बलवत्तरा:

Transliteration

candanais syandanaiḥ śālaiḥ saralaiḥ devadārubhiḥ | vetasair dhanvanaiś cāpi ye cānye balavattarāḥ, tasmāt taṁ vai namasyanti śvasanaṁ tarusattamāḥ |

Translation

นารทกล่าวว่า “แม้ไม้ใหญ่ผู้มีกำลัง—จันทน์, สยันทะนะ (ตินิศะ), ศาละ, สรละ, เทวทารุ, เวตสะ, ธันวะนะ และไม้อื่นที่แข็งแรงยิ่งกว่า—ก็ไม่กล่าวโทษลม เมื่อรู้ชัดทั้งกำลังของตนและอานุภาพของพระวายุ ไม้ชั้นเลิศเหล่านั้นย่อมก้มยอดลงต่อหน้าลมหายใจอันเคลื่อนไหวของพระองค์”

Word by Word

चन्दनैःby/with sandalwood trees

स्यन्दनैःby/with syandana (tiniśa) trees

शालैःby/with śāla trees

सरलैःby/with pine trees

देवदारुभिःby/with deodars (devadāru trees)

वेतसैःby/with vetasa (willow/reed) trees

धन्वनैःby/with dhanvana trees

अपिalso/even

येwho/which

चand

अन्येother

बलवत्तराःstronger/very strong

तस्मात्therefore/from that reason

तेthey

वैindeed/surely

नमस्यन्तिbow to / pay homage

श्वसनम्the Wind (Vāyu), the breather

तरुसत्तमाःthe best of trees

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Vāyu (Wind-god, implied by śvasanam)

candana (sandalwood tree)

syandana/tiniśa (tree)

śāla (tree)

sarala (tree)

devadāru (deodar cedar)

vetasa (cane/reed tree)

dhanvana (tree)

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?

Even the strongest should recognize a truly superior force and respond with humility rather than blame. The verse uses great trees as examples: knowing their own limits and the Wind’s might, they ‘bow’—teaching restraint, realism, and respectful conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada illustrates a moral point through a nature-based analogy: he lists powerful trees and says that they do not accuse the Wind; instead, they acknowledge its power and submit. The image supports an admonition against foolishly faulting a stronger agent and encourages wise deference.