Mahabharata — Ashvamedhika Parva, Shloka 13

Arjuna’s request to Krishna and the opening of the Kāśyapa–Brāhmaṇa mokṣa discourse (Āśvamedhika-parva 16)

Devanagari script

परं हि ब्रह्म कथितं योगयुक्तेन तन्‍्मया । इतिहासं तु वक्ष्यामि तस्मिन्नर्थे पुरातनम्‌

Transliteration

paraṁ hi brahma kathitaṁ yogayuktena tanmayā | itihāsaṁ tu vakṣyāmi tasminn arthe purātanam ||

Translation

“确然，我在瑜伽三昧之中曾宣说至上梵（Brahman）。如今，为使人明了同一真义，我将讲述一则与此相关的古老史传。”

Word by Word

• {'paraṁ': 'supreme, highest', 'hi': 'indeed, surely (emphatic particle)', 'brahma': 'Brahman

• the Absolute Reality', 'kathitam': 'was spoken, was explained', 'yoga-yuktena': 'by one united with yoga

• by one in disciplined spiritual absorption', 'tan-mayā': 'by me

• (also suggests) by me who was absorbed in That (tad-bhāva)', 'itihāsam': 'traditional history

• an instructive ancient narrative', 'tu': 'but/now (transition marker)', 'vakṣyāmi': 'I shall speak, I will tell', 'tasmin arthe': 'in/with regard to that meaning or topic', 'purātanam': 'ancient, of old'}

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वायुदेव (Vāyudeva)
• ब्रह्म (Brahman)
• योग (Yoga)
• इतिहास (Itihāsa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames spiritual instruction: realization of the Supreme Brahman is best communicated not only through direct doctrine but also through an ancient itihāsa (exemplary narrative) that makes the same truth intelligible and ethically grounded.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva transitions from having previously taught the highest metaphysical truth in a yogic state to announcing that he will now narrate an ancient story relevant to that teaching, using narrative as a vehicle for conveying the same meaning.