Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

ऋषिर्मेधातिथे: पुत्र: कण्वो बर्हिषदस्तथा । ब्रह्मतेजोमया: सर्वे कीर्तिता लोकभावना:

Transliteration

ṛṣir medhātitheḥ putraḥ kaṇvo barhiṣadas tathā | brahma-tejomayāḥ sarve kīrtitā loka-bhāvanāḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“又当列入者，有梅陀提提之子迦ṇ婆仙人，以及婆尔希萨德。此诸圣贤皆被颂扬为充满梵之辉耀——扶持世界、利益万有之造化者。”

Word by Word

• ऋषिः: sage
• ऋषिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मेधातिथेः: of Medhātithi
• मेधातिथेः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेधातिथि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कण्वः: Kaṇva
• कण्वः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बर्हिषदः: Barhiṣad (name of a sage)
• बर्हिषदः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बर्हिषद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: and also/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• ब्रह्मतेजोमयाः: consisting of Brahmanic splendor; endowed with brahma-tejas
• ब्रह्मतेजोमयाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मतेजोमय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कीर्तिताः: are declared/are said
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Passive (PPP)

• लोकभावनाः: world-creators; promoters/sustainers of the world
• लोकभावनाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोकभावन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Medhātithi
• Kaṇva
• Barhiṣad
• Brahman (as brahma-tejas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse honors sages as ‘brahma-tejomaya’—those whose inner discipline and spiritual realization generate a radiance that benefits society. Ethical authority is grounded not in power or birth alone, but in tapas, learning, and the capacity to uphold the world through dharmic influence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma continues a catalog of eminent ṛṣis, naming Kaṇva (son of Medhātithi) and Barhiṣad, and characterizing the entire group as world-sustainers endowed with Brahmanic splendor.