Mahabharata · 2.4.16–17
॥
Devanāgarī
मुनयो धर्मसहिता धृतात्मानो जितेन्द्रियाः ॥
एते चान्ये च बहवो वेदवेदाङ्गपारगाः ॥
उपासते महात्मानं सभायाम् ऋषिसत्तमाः ॥
कथयन्तः कथाः पुण्या धर्मज्ञाः शुचयो ऽमलाः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
munayo dharmasahitā dhṛtātmāno jitendriyāḥ ||
ete cānye ca bahavo vedavedāṅgapāragāḥ ||
upāsate mahātmānaṃ sabhāyām ṛṣisattamāḥ ||
kathayantaḥ kathāḥ puṇyā dharmajñāḥ śucayo 'malāḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
मुनयः धर्म-सहिताःmunayaḥ dharma-sahitāḥsages devoted to dharma,
धृत-आत्मानः जित-इन्द्रियाःdhṛta-ātmānaḥ jita-indriyāḥmasters of themselves, who had conquered their senses,
एते च अन्ये च बहवःete ca anye ca bahavaḥthese and many others,
वेद-वेदाङ्ग-पार-गाःveda-vedāṅga-pāra-gāḥwho had mastered the Vedas and the Vedangas,
उपासते महात्मानम्upāsate mahātmānamattend the great-souled one
सभायाम् ऋषि-सत्तमाःsabhāyām ṛṣi-sattamāḥin the hall, the foremost of sages,
कथयन्तः कथाः पुण्याःkathayantaḥ kathāḥ puṇyāḥconducting holy discourses,
धर्म-ज्ञाः शुचयः अमलाःdharma-jñāḥ śucayaḥ amalāḥknowers of dharma, pure, unstained.
मुनयोmunayooriginal form "munayo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धर्मसहिताdharmasahitāoriginal form "dharmasahitā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धृतात्मानोdhṛtātmānooriginal form "dhṛtātmāno", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जितेन्द्रियाःjitendriyāḥoriginal form "jitendriyāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चान्येcānyeoriginal form "cānye", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बहवोbahavooriginal form "bahavo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वेदवेदाङ्गपारगाःvedavedāṅgapāragāḥoriginal form "vedavedāṅgapāragāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महात्मानंmahātmānaṃoriginal form "mahātmānaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऋषिसत्तमाःṛṣisattamāḥoriginal form "ṛṣisattamāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुण्याpuṇyāoriginal form "puṇyā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धर्मज्ञाःdharmajñāḥoriginal form "dharmajñāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शुचयोśucayooriginal form "śucayo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽमलाः'malāḥoriginal form "'malāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Sages devoted to dharma, masters of themselves and their senses, these and many others who had mastered the Vedas and the Vedangas — the foremost of seers, knowers of dharma, pure and unstained — attend the great-souled [king] in the hall, conducting holy discourses."
Version
cc3ef0ac1587 · published Jul 16, 2026, 2:43:40 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here what is spoken of is not so much names as qualities: mastery of oneself, conquest of the senses, knowledge of dharma. It is significant that the greatness of the seers lies not in learning alone but in purity and self-command: true knowledge is inseparable from holiness of life. And their speech is called "holy discourse": where the pure gather, speech itself is purified. So the scripture shows the image of the true scholar; and further on the kings assemble.