Shloka 19
शुचि: शीलान्विताचार: शुक्लवासा जितेन्द्रिय: । संस्कृत: सर्वशास्त्रज्ञ: श्रद्दधानोइनसूयक:
śuciḥ śīlānvita-ācāraḥ śukla-vāsā jitendriyaḥ | saṃskṛtaḥ sarva-śāstra-jñaḥ śraddadhāno 'n-asūyakaḥ ||
Sinabi ni Vaiśaṃpāyana: “Dapat italaga bilang tagapagbigkas (vācaka) ang isang pantas na dalisay sa loob at labas, may mabuting asal at wastong gawi, nakadamit ng malinis na puti, may pagpipigil-sa-sarili, may mabuting paghubog, at batid ang diwa ng lahat ng śāstra—may pananampalataya at hindi mapanuri sa pagkukulang ng iba. Ang gayong iskolar, pinararangalan at sinusuportahan sa pamamagitan ng kaloob at paggalang, ay nagiging karapat-dapat magpasa ng banal na salaysay sa paraang nagtataguyod ng dharma.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the transmitter of sacred tradition should be ethically qualified: pure, disciplined, learned, faithful, and free from envy or fault-finding; such a person should be honored and supported so the teaching is preserved and conveyed rightly.
In the Svargārohaṇa context, Vaiśaṃpāyana describes the standards for selecting a competent and morally fit vācaka (reciter) of the epic—emphasizing character and self-mastery alongside scholarship.