Shloka 12

Devanagari script

तदपाक्रियते सर्व यज्ञेन तपसा श्रुतैः । तपस्वी यज्ञकृच्चासि न च ते विद्यते प्रजा,देवताओंने कहा--ब्रह्मन! मनुष्य जिस ऋणसे ऋणी होकर जन्म लेते हैं, उसे सुनिये। यज्ञकर्म, ब्रह्मचर्यपालन और प्रजाकी उत्पत्ति--इन तीनोंके लिये सभी मनुष्योंपर ऋण रहता है, इसमें संशय नहीं है। यज्ञ, तपस्या और वेदाध्ययनके द्वारा वह सारा ऋण दूर किया जाता है। आप तपस्वी और यज्ञकर्ता तो हैं ही, आपके कोई संतान नहीं है

Transliteration

tad apākriyate sarvaṁ yajñena tapasā śrutaiḥ | tapasvī yajñakṛc cāsi na ca te vidyate prajā ||

Translation

„All dies wird durch Opfer, Askese und heilige Gelehrsamkeit getilgt. Du bist wahrlich ein Asket und ein Opfernder; doch du hast keine Nachkommenschaft.“

Word by Word

तत्that (debt/obligation)

अपाक्रियतेis removed/cleared away

सर्वम्entirely/all

यज्ञेनby sacrifice

तपसाby austerity

श्रुतैःby Vedic learning/what is heard (śruti)

तपस्वीan ascetic

यज्ञकृत्performer of sacrifices

चand

असिyou are

नnot

चand

तेof you/your

विद्यतेexists/is found

प्रजाoffspring/progeny

Speaker

मन्दपाल उवाच

Characters & Entities

म

मन्दपाल (Mandapāla)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames moral-religious ‘clearing of obligations’ through three pillars: yajña (sacrificial duty), tapas (self-discipline), and śruti (Vedic learning). It also implies that fulfilling dharma is not only personal piety (austerity and ritual) but includes continuity of lineage through progeny.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mandapāla addresses the issue of how one discharges the burdens/obligations associated with human life, affirming that sacrifice, austerity, and Vedic study remove them; then he points out a deficiency in the addressee’s life—despite being an ascetic and sacrificer, he has no children.