Shloka 16

Vasiṣṭha on Saṃsāra, Guṇas, and Misattributed Agency

Mahābhārata 12.292

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठो जमदन्निश्ष विश्वामित्रो$त्रिरेव च | भरद्वाजो हरिश्मश्रु: कुण्डधार: श्रुतश्रवा:

Transliteration

vasiṣṭho jamadagniś ca viśvāmitro ’trir eva ca | bharadvājo hariśmaśruḥ kuṇḍadhāraḥ śrutaśravāḥ | asito devalo nāradaḥ parvataḥ kakṣīvān jamadagninandanaḥ paraśurāmaḥ tāṇḍyaś ca manasaḥ vaśam ānayan | ete maharṣayaḥ samāhitacittā vedar̥gbhiḥ bhagavantaṃ viṣṇuṃ stutvā tasyaiva buddhimato śrīhareḥ kṛpayā tapasā siddhiṃ prāpuḥ ||

Translation

Parāśara nói: Vasiṣṭha, Jamadagni, Viśvāmitra, Atri, Bharadvāja, Hariśmaśru, Kuṇḍadhāra, Śrutaśravā, Asita, Devala, Nārada, Parvata, Kakṣīvān, Rāma—con của Jamadagni (Paraśurāma)—và Tāṇḍya, bậc có thể chế ngự tâm—những đại hiền ấy, với tâm nhất điểm, đã dùng các câu ṛk của Veda mà tán dương Đức Viṣṇu. Nhờ ân sủng của bậc Trí giả Śrīhari, họ tu khổ hạnh và chứng đắc thành tựu tâm linh.

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जमदग्निः: Jamadagni
• जमदग्निः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जमदग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विश्वामित्रः: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अत्रिः: Atri
• अत्रिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अत्रि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• भरद्वाजः: Bharadvāja
• भरद्वाजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरद्वाज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हरिश्मश्रुः: Hariśmaśru (one with tawny/greenish beard)
• हरिश्मश्रुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिश्मश्रु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कुण्डधारः: Kuṇḍadhāra
• कुण्डधारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्डधार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रुतश्रवाः: Śrutaśravā
• श्रुतश्रवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुतश्रवस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

पराशर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Vasiṣṭha
• Jamadagni
• Viśvāmitra
• Atri
• Bharadvāja
• Hariśmaśru
• Kuṇḍadhāra
• Śrutaśravā
• Asita
• Devala
• Nārada
• Parvata
• Kakṣīvān
• Paraśurāma
• Tāṇḍya
• Viṣṇu
• Śrīhari
• Veda
• Ṛk (Vedic hymns)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Spiritual accomplishment (siddhi) arises from disciplined austerity supported by focused mind (samāhita-citta) and devotion expressed through Vedic praise; grace (kṛpā) of Śrīhari is presented as the enabling power behind success.

What is happening in the narrative?

Parāśara lists renowned sages who, gathering their minds, praise Lord Viṣṇu with Vedic ṛk-verses and, through His grace, undertake tapas and attain siddhi—serving as exemplars of devotional discipline.