Shloka 2
Adhyāya 26 — Ekākṣara-Brahman (“Om”) and the Hṛdayastha Guru
Inner Teacher
एको गुरुर्नास्ति ततो द्वितीयो यो हृच्छयस्तमहमनुब्रवीमि । तेनानुशिष्टा गुरुणा सदैव पराभूता दानवा: सर्व एव
eko gurur nāsti tato dvitīyo yo hṛcchayaḥ tam aham anubravīmi | tenānuśiṣṭā guruṇā sadaiva parābhūtā dānavāḥ sarva eva ||
“导师唯有一位，别无第二位。那隐居于心中的至上自性——我宣告祂才是真正的师。蒙那位导师恒常的戒律与训导，一切达那婆尽皆惨败。”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the ultimate and unsurpassed Guru is the indwelling Supreme Self (Paramātman) seated in the heart; true guidance comes from aligning oneself with that inner divine discipline rather than seeking an ultimate authority elsewhere.
A brāhmaṇa speaker proclaims a doctrinal point within the Ashvamedhika Parva: he identifies the heart-dwelling Supreme as the sole Guru and attributes the defeat of the Dānavas to obedience to that Guru’s continual instruction—framing victory as the fruit of divine inner governance.