Shloka 53
पञ्चवर्णोत्पत्तिः — The Origin of the Five-Colored Fiery Being and Ritual-Disruptor Lineages
Devanagari script
तपो नि:श्रेयसं जन्तोस्तस्य मूलं शमो दम:
Transliteration
tapo niḥśreyasaṃ jantostasya mūlaṃ śamo damaḥ
Translation
ব্যাধে ক’লে—তপস্যা জীৱৰ পৰম শ্ৰেয়ৰ সাধন; আৰু সেই তপস্যাৰ মূল শম (মনোনিগ্ৰহ) আৰু দম (ইন্দ্ৰিয়সংযম)।
Word by Word
तपःausterity, penance
तपः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootतपस्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
नि:श्रेयसम्highest good, final beatitude
नि:श्रेयसम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनि:श्रेयस
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
जन्तोःof a creature / of a person
जन्तोः:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootजन्तु
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
तस्यof that (of it/that one)
तस्य:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular
मूलम्root, basis
मूलम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमूल
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
शमःtranquility, mental restraint
शमः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशम
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
दमःself-control, sense-restraint
दमः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदम
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
व्याध उवाच
Characters & Entities
व
व्याध (the hunter)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
True austerity that leads to the highest good is not merely external hardship; it is grounded in śama (inner calm) and dama (restraint of the senses). Without these, tapas lacks its ethical and spiritual foundation.
In the Vana Parva’s dharma-instruction context, the hunter (vyādha) delivers a moral teaching: he defines the basis of meaningful tapas and points the listener toward inner discipline as the essential means to ultimate welfare.