Shloka 33

Adhyāya 222 — ब्रह्मस्थानप्राप्ति: मोक्षधर्मे समत्वव्रतम्

Attaining the Brahman-Station: The Vow of Equanimity in Mokṣadharma

Devanagari script

शक्र उवाच येनैषा लभ्यते प्रज्ञा येन शान्तिरवाप्यते । प्रत्रूहि तमुपायं मे सम्यक्‌ प्रह्माद पृच्छत:

Transliteration

śakra uvāca: yenaiṣā labhyate prajñā yena śāntir avāpyate | prabrūhi tam upāyaṃ me samyak prahrādāt pṛcchataḥ ||

Translation

শক্র বললেন—হে প্রহ্লাদ! যে উপায়ে এই প্রজ্ঞা লাভ হয় এবং যে উপায়ে শান্তি প্রাপ্ত হয়, আমি জিজ্ঞাসা করছি—আমাকে সেই পদ্ধতি স্পষ্ট করে বলো।

Word by Word

• {'śakraḥ': 'Śakra (Indra), lord of the gods', 'uvāca': 'said', 'yena': 'by which

• through what means', 'eṣā': 'this (referring to the wisdom/insight just mentioned)', 'labhyate': 'is obtained, is gained', 'prajñā': 'wisdom, discerning intelligence, right understanding', 'śāntiḥ': 'peace, tranquility, inner calm', 'avāpyate': 'is attained, is reached', 'prabrūhi': 'tell, declare, explain', 'upāyam': 'means, method, practical way', 'me': 'to me', 'samyak': 'properly, correctly, fully', 'prahrādāt': 'from Prahlāda

• addressed to Prahlāda (vocative sense in context)', 'pṛcchataḥ': 'of one who asks

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Prahlāda

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames the ethical inquiry: true wisdom (prajñā) and lasting peace (śānti) are not accidental but are attained through a specific upāya (method). It emphasizes humble questioning and the search for a practical path to inner steadiness.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a didactic dialogue within the Śānti Parva, Śakra (Indra) addresses Prahlāda and requests instruction. He asks Prahlāda to explain clearly the means by which one gains discerning wisdom and attains peace.