Shloka 12

Sanatsujāta on Vedic Learning, Truth (Satya), and the Discipline of Dama–Tyāga–Apramāda

Devanagari script

जो शिष्यकी वृत्तिके क्रमसे ही जीवन-निर्वाह करता हुआ पवित्र हो विद्या प्राप्त करता है, उसका यह नियम भी ब्रह्मचर्यव्रतका पहला ही पाद कहलाता है ।।

Transliteration

yo śiṣyakī vṛttike kramase hī jīvana-nirvāha karatā huā pavitra ho vidyā prāpta karatā hai, usakā yaha niyama bhī brahmacarya-vratakā prathama eva pāda kahalātā hai. ācāryasya priyaṁ kuryāt prāṇair api dhanair api; karmaṇā manasā vācā dvitīyaḥ pāda ucyate.

Translation

يشرح ساناتسوجاتا نظام البراهماچاريا (brahmacarya) في صورته العملية والأخلاقية. أولًا: إنّ التلميذ الذي يقتات عيشه على وجهٍ منظمٍ ومقيد، ويبقى طاهرًا وهو يطلب العلم، يُقال إنه أتمّ “الرُّبع” (pāda) الأول من نذر البراهماچاريا. ثانيًا: ولو كان الثمن النفس أو المال، فإن إرضاء المعلّم بالفعل والفكر والقول يُعلَن أنه الرُّبع الثاني. وهكذا تُصوِّر التعاليمُ التعليمَ تدرّبًا مقدّسًا يقوم على ضبط النفس والطهارة وخدمة الغورو بكل القلب.

Word by Word

• {'śiṣya': 'student, disciple', 'vṛtti': 'means of livelihood

• mode of living', 'krama': 'order, proper sequence

• disciplined method', 'jīvana-nirvāha': 'maintenance of life

• subsistence', 'pavitra': 'pure, clean, morally purified', 'vidyā': 'knowledge

• sacred instruction', 'niyama': 'rule, observance, discipline', 'brahmacarya-vrata': 'vow of brahmacarya (student-discipline, chastity, regulated life devoted to learning)', 'pāda': 'quarter

• a part or division (here: a ‘quarter’ of the vow)', 'ācārya': 'teacher, preceptor', 'priya': 'dear

• what is agreeable', 'kuryāt': 'should do

• should perform', 'prāṇa': 'life-breath

• life itself', 'dhana': 'wealth, possessions', 'karmaṇā': 'by action/deed', 'manasā': 'by mind/thought', 'vācā': 'by speech/word', 'dvitīyaḥ': 'second', 'ucyate': 'is said

Speaker

सनत्सुजात उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanatsujāta
• ācārya (the teacher)
• śiṣya (the student)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Brahmacarya is presented as a structured discipline: (1) living purely and in an orderly, restrained way while pursuing learning, and (2) wholehearted dedication to the teacher—pleasing the ācārya through action, thought, and speech, even at personal cost.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Sanatsujātīya discourse within Udyoga Parva, Sanatsujāta instructs (in a didactic setting) on ethical and spiritual disciplines. Here he defines parts of the brahmacarya vow by describing the ideal student’s conduct and the duty of devoted service to the teacher.