Shloka 27

Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 1 — The Pandavas’ Exit from Gajasāhvaya and the Citizens’ Lament (जनमेजयप्रश्नः; पाण्डवानां वनप्रस्थानम्)

Devanagari script

येषां त्रीण्यवदातानि विद्या योनिश्च कर्म च । ते सेव्यास्तै: समास्या हि शास्त्रेभ्योडपि गरीयसी,“जिन पुरुषोंके विद्या, जाति और कर्म--ये तीनों उज्ज्वल हों, उनका सेवन करना चाहिये; क्योंकि उन महापुरुषोंके साथ बैठना शास्त्रोंके स्वाध्यायसे भी बढ़कर है। हमलोग अग्निहोत्र आदि शुभ कर्मोंका अनुष्ठान नहीं करते, तो भी पुण्यात्मा साधुपुरुषोंके समुदायमें रहनेसे हमें पुण्यकी ही प्राप्ति होगी। इसी प्रकार पापीजनोंके सेवनसे हम पापके ही भागी होंगे

Transliteration

yeṣāṃ trīṇy avadātāni vidyā yoniś ca karma ca | te sevyās taiḥ samāsyā hi śāstrebhyo 'pi garīyasī ||

Translation

Wika ni Vaiśampāyana: “Yaong mga lalaking dalisay sa tatlong bagay—karunungan, angkan, at asal—ay karapat-dapat samahan. Sapagkat ang maupo sa piling ng gayong mga dakilang-loob ay itinuturing pang higit na kapaki-pakinabang kaysa sa pag-aaral lamang ng mga kasulatan. Kahit hindi natin maisagawa ang mga mapalad na ritwal gaya ng Agnihotra, sa paninirahan sa gitna ng mga banal at mabubuting tao ay nakakamit pa rin natin ang kabutihang-loob at gantimpalang-dangal. Gayundin, sa pakikisama sa masasama, di maiiwasang maging kabahagi tayo ng kasalanan.”

Word by Word

येषाम्of whom/whose

त्रीणिthree

अवदातानिpure, spotless, bright

विद्याlearning, knowledge

योनिःbirth, lineage

चand

कर्मconduct, action

चand

तेthey/those (men)

सेव्याःto be served/associated with

तैःby/with them

समास्याःto be sat with/kept company with

हिindeed, for

शास्त्रेभ्यःthan scriptures (from scriptures)

अपिeven, also

गरीयसीgreater, more weighty

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Agnihotra

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Moral and spiritual progress depends greatly on association: keeping company with people who are pure in learning, birth/lineage, and conduct is itself a powerful source of merit—sometimes valued even above mere textual study—while association with the wicked leads to sharing in their sin.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a general ethical principle is stated to frame the value of satsaṅga (good company): even without performing formal Vedic rites like Agnihotra, one gains merit by living among the virtuous; conversely, one accrues demerit by mixing with the sinful.