Shloka 3

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच शृणु राजन्‌ विधिमिमं फलं यच्चापि भारतात्‌ | श्रुताद्‌ भवति राजेन्द्र यत्‌ त्वं मामनुपृच्छसि

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca: śṛṇu rājan vidhim imaṁ phalaṁ yac cāpi bhāratāt | śrutād bhavati rājendra yat tvaṁ mām anupṛcchasi ||

Translation

毗舍波耶那说道：“听着，国王啊。我将为你阐明聆听《摩诃婆罗多》的正当仪轨，也将说明由此聆听所生之果——正是你这位诸王之最向我所问的。”

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaiśampāyana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शृणु: listen
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विधिम्: procedure, rule
• विधिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इमम्: this
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• यत्: which, that (relative)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

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

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• भारत: O Bhārata (descendant of Bharata)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• श्रुतात्: from hearing, by hearing
• श्रुतात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुत
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• भवति: arises, becomes
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• यत्: which, that (relative)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• अनुपृच्छसि: you ask (me), you inquire
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-प्रच्छ्
• Form: Present, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Rājan (the King)
• Bhārata / Mahābhārata

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames the Mahābhārata as a text whose hearing (śravaṇa) should follow a proper vidhi (prescribed method) and yields a definite phala (spiritual/ethical benefit). It emphasizes respectful inquiry and disciplined reception of tradition.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana responds to the king’s question by announcing that he will now describe both the procedure for listening to the Mahābhārata and the results obtained from hearing it.