Jnanavriddhan Prashamsantah - Prosperity Through Mutual Regard
ज्ञानवृद्धान्प्रशंसन्तः शुश्रूषन्तः परस्परम्। विनिवृत्ताभिसन्धानाः सुखमेधन्ति सर्वशः॥
jñānavṛddhān praśaṃsantaḥ śuśrūṣantaḥ parasparam । vinivṛttābhisandhānāḥ sukhamedhanti sarvaśaḥ ॥
Meaning of Jñānavṛddhān Praśaṃsantaḥ Śuśrūṣantaḥ
Wise and virtuous people interact with one another with respect, a spirit of service and goodwill. Free from the desire for personal gain, they serve and appreciate one another, thereby attaining happiness and prosperity in life.
Word by word
- ज्ञानवृद्धान्jñānavṛddhān
those mature or advanced in knowledge
ज्ञान + वृद्ध
Accusative plural, the object of praśaṃsantaḥ.
- प्रशंसन्तःpraśaṃsantaḥ
honouring, commending or praising
प्र + √शंस्
- शुश्रूषन्तःśuśrūṣantaḥ
serving attentively, willing to listen
√श्रु
A desiderative participle conveying a wish to hear, obey or serve.
- परस्परम्parasparam
one another, mutually
परस्पर
- विनिवृत्ताभिसन्धानाःvinivṛttābhisandhānāḥ
having turned away from ulterior designs or hostile intentions
वि + नि + √वृत्; अभि + सम् + √धा
- सुखम्sukham
happily, in well-being
सुख
Adverbial accusative; sandhi with edhanti gives sukhamedhanti.
- एधन्तिedhanti
they prosper or flourish
√एध्
- सर्वशःsarvaśaḥ
in every way, on all sides
सर्व
Commentary
This verse describes the conduct through which people prosper together. Praśaṃsantaḥ asks them to honour or commend jñānavṛddhān, those who have grown mature in knowledge, while śuśrūṣantaḥ parasparam expresses attentive service or willingness to listen to one another. Vinivṛttābhisandhānāḥ adds an essential ethical condition: they have turned away from concealed designs, hostile intentions or self-interested schemes. Their resulting prosperity is not merely material, for sukham edhanti says that they flourish happily and in every way. Knowledge, mutual regard, service and freedom from ulterior motives therefore form one connected discipline of collective well-being. In its Mahabharata context, the implied subject is organised groups or communities and the surrounding discussion concerns how such bodies remain united and grow strong. The supplied meaning presents the teaching more generally as the conduct of wise and virtuous individuals, which is a natural modern application. It also renders vinivṛttābhisandhānāḥ as freedom from personal gain; more literally, the expression indicates people who have withdrawn from hidden intentions or schemes. The source reading is jñānavṛddhān praśaṃsantaḥ, 'honouring those mature in knowledge', rather than jñānavṛddhāḥ praśaṃsanti, 'the knowledge-mature praise'.
Sources and textual variants
Original Post
More from Mahabharata
View source pageनित्यं परिचरेच्चैव तद्वै सुकृतमुत्तमम्। कीर्तिं पुण्यं यशो लोकान् प्राप्स्यसे राजसत्तम॥
nityaṃ paricareccaiva tadvai sukṛtamuttamam । kīrtiṃ puṇyaṃ yaśo lokān prāpsyase rājasattama ॥
Daily service is praised as an excellent deed that brings merit, renown and higher realms.
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च। निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी॥
adveṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṃ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca । nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī ॥
The Bhagavad Gita describes a character free from hatred and ego, friendly to all beings and steady in joy and sorrow.
स्वे स्वे कर्मण्यभिरतः संसिद्धिं लभते नरः। स्वकर्मनिरतः सिद्धिं यथा विन्दति तच्छृणु॥
sve sve karmaṇyabhirataḥ saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ । svakarmanirataḥ siddhiṁ yathā vindati tacchṛṇu ॥
The Bhagavad Gita teaches that devotion to one's own work is a path to perfection.
More subhashitams on Knowledge
View topic pageवत्सराजोऽपि तं प्राप्तं प्रदत्तोपायनं नृपम्। प्रीत्या सम्मानयामास शूरा हि प्रणतिप्रियाः॥
vatsarājo 'pi taṃ prāptaṃ pradattopāyanaṃ nṛpam । prītyā sammānayāmāsa śūrā hi praṇatipriyāḥ ॥
Vatsaraja honours a king who comes with gifts, illustrating the brave person's regard for respectful homage.
भस्मीकृतस्वार्थसौख्यपरिचर्चितविग्रहाः। स्वराज्ययोगनिर्मग्ना धन्यास्ते वीरयोगिनः॥
bhasmīkṛtasvārthasaukhyaparicarcitavigrahāḥ । svarājyayoganirmagnā dhanyās te vīrayoginaḥ ॥
The verse praises heroic practitioners who renounce personal comforts and devote themselves fully to self-rule.
नित्यं परिचरेच्चैव तद्वै सुकृतमुत्तमम्। कीर्तिं पुण्यं यशो लोकान् प्राप्स्यसे राजसत्तम॥
nityaṃ paricareccaiva tadvai sukṛtamuttamam । kīrtiṃ puṇyaṃ yaśo lokān prāpsyase rājasattama ॥
Daily service is praised as an excellent deed that brings merit, renown and higher realms.