Shloka 34

Gautama–Śakra Saṃvāda: Karma, Loka-bheda, and the Restoration of the Elephant

Devanagari script

तथाविधानामेष लोको महर्षे विशुद्धानां भावितो वाग्यतानाम्‌ | सत्ये स्थितानां वेदविदां महात्मनां परं गन्ता धृतराष्ट्रो न तत्र

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | tathāvidhānām eṣa loko maharṣe viśuddhānāṃ bhāvito vāgyatānām | satye sthitānāṃ vedavidāṃ mahātmanāṃ paraṃ gantā dhṛtarāṣṭro na tatra |

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra sprach: „O großer Seher, dieses Reich gehört solchen Menschen—denen, deren inneres Wesen geläutert ist, deren Rede gezügelt ist, die fest in der Wahrheit stehen und die großgesinnte Kenner des Veda sind. Doch Dhṛtarāṣṭra wird dieses höchste Ziel nicht erlangen.“

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• विधानाम्: of such kinds (of persons)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधा
• Form: feminine, genitive, plural

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• लोकः: world, realm
• लोकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• महर्षे: O great sage
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• विशुद्धानाम्: of the pure
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशुद्ध
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, plural

• भावितः: made fit, destined/ordained
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भावित
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• वाक्: speech
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच्
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• यतानाम्: of the restrained (self-controlled)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यत
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, plural

• सत्ये: in truth
• सत्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• स्थितानाम्: of those abiding/standing
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थित
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, plural

• वेदविदाम्: of the knowers of the Veda
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदविद्
• Form: masculine, genitive, plural

• महात्मनाम्: of the great-souled
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: masculine, genitive, plural

• परम्: further, beyond; (here) to the highest state
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर

• गन्ता: will go / is destined to go
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: future (periphrastic/agent noun -tṛ), singular

• धृतराष्ट्रः: Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• धृतराष्ट्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Mahārṣi (the seer addressed)
• Veda
• Loka (realm/world)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links spiritual attainment to ethical discipline: purity of intention, restraint in speech, steadfast truthfulness, and Vedic wisdom qualify one for a higher realm; lacking these, one does not reach that destination.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses a seer and acknowledges that a particular exalted realm is reserved for the purified and truth-established sages, while admitting that he himself will not attain it.