Mahabharata · 1.157.4–5
॥
Devanāgarī
अपि धर्मेण वर्तध्वं शास्त्रेण च परंतपाः ॥
अपि विप्रेषु वः पूजा पूजार्हेषु न हीयते ॥
अथ धर्मार्थवद् वाक्यम् उक्त्वा स भगवान् ऋषिः ॥
विचित्राश् च कथास् तास् ताः पुनर् एवेदम् अब्रवीत् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
api dharmeṇa vartadhvaṃ śāstreṇa ca paraṃtapāḥ ||
api vipreṣu vaḥ pūjā pūjārheṣu na hīyate ||
atha dharmārthavad vākyam uktvā sa bhagavān ṛṣiḥ ||
vicitrāś ca kathās tās tāḥ punar evedam abravīt ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अपि धर्मेण वर्तध्वं शास्त्रेण च परंतपाःapi dharmeṇa vartadhvaṃ śāstreṇa ca paraṃtapāḥ"do you live by dharma and by scripture, O scorchers of foes?
अपि विप्रेषु वः पूजा पूजार्हेषु न हीयतेapi vipreṣu vaḥ pūjā pūjārheṣu na hīyatedoes your reverence for the brahmins, worthy of reverence, not wane?"
अथ धर्मार्थवत् वाक्यम् उक्त्वा सः भगवान् ऋषिःatha dharmārthavat vākyam uktvā saḥ bhagavān ṛṣiḥthen, having spoken words full of dharma and benefit, that blessed sage,
विचित्राः च कथाः ताः ताः पुनः एव इदम् अब्रवीत्vicitrāḥ ca kathāḥ tāḥ tāḥ punaḥ eva idam abravītand various tales -- having told them, spoke again this:
धर्मार्थवद्dharmārthavadoriginal form "dharmārthavad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विचित्राश्vicitrāśoriginal form "vicitrāś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कथास्kathāsoriginal form "kathās", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तास्tāsoriginal form "tās", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुनर्punaroriginal form "punar", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एवेदम्evedamoriginal form "evedam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
Vyasa said: "Do you live by dharma and by scripture, O scorchers of foes? Does your reverence for the brahmins, worthy of reverence, not wane?" Then, having spoken words full of dharma and benefit, and various tales, that blessed sage spoke again this.
Version
9693bcbca6fc · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:19:51 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the guru's first concern is for his disciples' dharma, not their comfort. It is telling what Vyasa asks first: whether they keep dharma and scripture, whether they honor the brahmins -- not about food or shelter, but about spiritual health. Here is the true measure of a teacher: he attends to the soul, not the body, for the eternal good exceeds the passing one. Telling too, that even in exile faithfulness to dharma is expected of the disciples: hardship does not annul duty. Thus scripture shows that a guru's true love is care for the righteousness of those entrusted to him; and Vyasa's question is at once a test and a teaching.