व्यासादधिक एवाऽहं व्यासशिष्योऽसि तत्सुतः । भोगेच्छातानवेनेह मत्तोऽप्यत्यधिको भवान् ॥ ४० ॥
vyāsādadhika ēvā’haṁ vyāsaśiṣyō’si tatsutaḥ | bhōgēcchātānavēnēha mattō’pyatyadhikō bhavān || 40 ||
Translation
I am greater even than Vyāsa, and you are his son, Vyāsa's pupil; yet by the thinness of your desire for pleasures you are greater even than I.
Word by word
- vyāsād
- (vyāsāt) than Vyāsa
- adhika
- (adhikaḥ) greater
- ēva
- even
- ahaṁ
- I
- vyāsa
- Vyāsa's
- śiṣyō
- (śiṣyaḥ) pupil
- asi
- you are
- tat
- his
- sutaḥ
- son
- bhōga
- for pleasures
- icchā
- of your desire
- tānavēna
- by the thinness
- iha
- here
- mattō
- (mattaḥ) than I
- apy
- (api) even
- atyadhikō
- (atyadhikaḥ) greater
- bhavān
- you
Meaning
Janaka's reasoning is playful and exact. As Śuka's teacher now, he stands above Vyāsa; Śuka is Vyāsa's son and pupil, and so stands below both. And yet, because his longing for pleasures has worn so thin (bhoga-icchā-tānava), Śuka surpasses Janaka too. The commentary notes that this praise also serves to fix his conviction. The measure of greatness here is not learning or rank but how little one wants. By that measure the young renunciate outranks the king and the sage.