Shloka 41
Yajña-bhāga-vyavasthā and the Pravṛtti–Nivṛtti Framework (यज्ञभागव्यवस्था तथा प्रवृत्तिनिवृत्तिधर्मविवेचनम्)
“हम चार आपके शिष्य हैं और पंचम शिष्य गुरुपुत्र शुकदेव हैं। इन पाँचोंमें ही आपके पढ़ाये हुए सम्पूर्ण वेद प्रतिष्ठित हों; यही हमारे लिये मनोवाजञ्छित वर है,
vayaṃ catvāra āpake śiṣyāḥ smaḥ pañcamaś ca śiṣyo guruputraḥ śukadevaḥ। eteṣāṃ pañcānāṃ madhye eva bhavatā pāṭhitāḥ samastā vedāḥ pratiṣṭhitāḥ syuḥ—eṣa eva asmākaṃ manovāñchitaḥ varaḥ॥
毗湿摩说道：“我们四人是你的弟子，第五位弟子是师之子——舒迦提婆。愿你所教授的一切吠陀，只在这五人之中牢固安立；此乃我等心中所求之愿。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dharmic ideal of preserving sacred knowledge through worthy disciples: the Vedas should be firmly grounded in a small, reliable circle trained by the teacher, emphasizing responsibility, continuity, and fidelity in transmission.
The speaker identifies a group of five disciples—four plus Śukadeva, the teacher’s son—and asks for a boon: that all the Vedic learning imparted by the teacher should be securely established in these five, ensuring the tradition’s continuity.