Shloka 22

शकुनि (हिरण्मय-पक्षी) उपदेशः — Vighasāśin and the Difficulty of Gārhasthya

Devanagari script

एतद्‌ विदुस्तपो विप्रा द्वन्द्ातीता विमत्सरा: । तस्माद्‌ व्रतं मध्यमं तु लोकेषु तप उच्यते,जिनके मनमें किसीके प्रति ईर्ष्या नहीं है, जो सब प्रकारके द्वन्द्वोंसे रहित हैं, वे ब्राह्मण इसीको तप मानते हैं। यद्यपि लोकमें व्रतकों भी तप कहा जाता है, किंतु वह पंचयज्ञके अनुष्ठानकी अपेक्षा मध्यम श्रेणीका है

Transliteration

etad vidus tapo viprā dvandvātītā vimatsarāḥ | tasmād vrataṁ madhyamaṁ tu lokeṣu tapa ucyate ||

Translation

যিসকল ব্ৰাহ্মণ দ্বন্দ্বাতীত আৰু ঈৰ্ষাহীন, তেওঁলোকে একেই তপ বুলি জানে। সেয়ে লোকাচাৰত ব্ৰতকো ‘তপ’ বোলা হয়; কিন্তু পঞ্চযজ্ঞৰ অনুষ্ঠান আৰু অন্তঃসমত্বৰ তুলনাত সেয়া মধ্যম শ্ৰেণীৰ।

Word by Word

• {'etad': 'this (very thing)', 'viduḥ': 'know, understand (perfect/preterite sense: ‘have known’)', 'tapaḥ': 'austerity

• disciplined self-restraint', 'viprāḥ': 'Brahmins

• learned sages', 'dvandvātītāḥ': 'those who have gone beyond dualities (pleasure/pain, gain/loss, honor/dishonor, etc.)', 'vimatsarāḥ': 'free from matsara (envy, jealousy, spite)', 'tasmāt': 'therefore, for that reason', 'vratam': 'vow

• self-imposed rule', 'madhyamam': 'middling

• intermediate in rank', 'tu': 'but

• indeed (contrast/emphasis)', 'lokeṣu': 'in the world

• among people', 'ucyate': 'is called

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• viprāḥ (Brahmins)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True tapas is primarily inner: freedom from envy and transcendence of dualities. External vows may be called austerity, but they are secondary unless grounded in inner equanimity and purity of intent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna articulates a doctrinal point within the Shanti Parva’s ethical instruction: he reports what wise Brahmins regard as genuine austerity, contrasting inner transformation with merely external observances.