Shloka 16

Devanagari script

अनुस्मृत्य तु शास्त्राणि कवय: समवस्थिता: । अपीह स्यादपीह स्यात्‌ सारासारदिदृक्षया,कहते हैं, किसी समय विद्वान्‌ पुरुषोंने सार और असार वस्तुका निर्णय करनेकी इच्छासे इकट्ठे होकर समस्त शास्त्रोंका बार-बार स्मरण करते हुए यह विचार आरम्भ किया कि क्या इस गार्हस्थ्य-जीवनमें कुछ सार है या इसके त्यागमें सार है?

Transliteration

anusmṛtya tu śāstrāṇi kavayaḥ samavasthitāḥ | apīha syād apīha syāt sārāsāradidṛkṣayā ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira nói: “Nhớ lại lời dạy của các thánh điển hết lần này đến lần khác, các bậc hiền triết tụ hội. Muốn phân định điều cốt yếu và điều không cốt yếu, họ khởi lên cuộc vấn đáp này: ‘Trong đời sống gia chủ ở đây, có thực chất nào chăng, hay thực chất nằm ở việc từ bỏ nó?’”

Word by Word

अनुस्मृत्यhaving repeatedly remembered / recollecting

तुbut / indeed

शास्त्राणिtreatises, scriptures

कवयःsages, learned poets

समवस्थिताःassembled / gathered together

अपिalso / even

इहhere (in this matter / in this world)

स्यात्might be / could be

अपिalso / even

इहhere (in this matter / in this world)

स्यात्might be / could be

सारासारदिदृक्षयाby the desire to discern the essential and the non-essential

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

kavayaḥ (sages)

śāstrāṇi (scriptures)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a dharmic method: wise people repeatedly consult śāstra and then apply viveka—discerning ‘sāra’ (true value) from ‘asāra’ (mere appearance)—to decide whether worldly duties (gṛhastha life) or renunciation better serves the highest good.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira reports an archetypal debate: sages gather, recall scriptural authorities, and begin examining a central ethical question—whether the householder’s path contains the real ‘essence’ or whether the essence lies in giving it up.