Shloka 52

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

Devanagari script

धृतराष्ट उवाच निर्मुक्ता: सर्वसंगैयें कृतात्मानो यतव्रता: । अध्यात्मयोगसंस्थानैर्युक्ता: स्वर्गगतिं गता:

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca

nirmuktāḥ sarvasaṅgaiḥ kṛtātmāno yatavratāḥ |

adhyātmayogasaṃsthānaiḥ yuktāḥ svargagatiṃ gatāḥ ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra sprach: „O großer Weiser! Nur Männer sāttvischer Art—von jeder Bindung befreit, Herr über den eigenen Geist, die Gelübde in Zucht bewahrend und im inneren Wissen wie im Yoga gegründet—gelangen, nachdem sie den Weg zum Himmel erreicht haben, in die verdienstvolle Welt Brahmās, das heilige Brahmaloka. Dort wirst du Dhṛtarāṣṭra nicht sehen können.“

Word by Word

• धृतराष्ट्रः: Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• धृतराष्ट्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• निर्मुक्ताः: freed, released
• निर्मुक्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मुक्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वसङ्गेभ्यः: from all attachments
• सर्वसङ्गेभ्यः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वसङ्ग
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Plural

• कृतात्मानः: self-controlled (having mastered the mind/self)
• कृतात्मानः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यतव्रताः: of restrained vows; observing disciplined vows
• यतव्रताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यतव्रत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अध्यात्मयोगसंस्थानेभिः: by/with the disciplines/establishments of adhyātma-yoga
• अध्यात्मयोगसंस्थानेभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्यात्मयोगसंस्थान
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• युक्ताः: endowed, joined, engaged
• युक्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स्वर्गगतिम्: the path/attainment of heaven
• स्वर्गगतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्गगति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• गताः: have gone; attained
• Type: Verb
• Root: गत
• Form: Past participle (kta), Plural, Masculine, Nominative

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Mahāmuni (the sage addressed)
• Svarga (heaven)
• Brahmaloka (Brahma-world)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Freedom from attachment, mastery of the mind, disciplined observance of vows, and steady practice of adhyātma (spiritual knowledge) and yoga are presented as the ethical-spiritual qualifications that lead to higher post-mortem attainments such as svarga and the meritorious Brahmaloka.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses a great sage and reflects on the destiny of spiritually disciplined, sāttvika persons. He states that such people attain higher worlds (svarga and Brahmaloka), and adds that Dhṛtarāṣṭra himself will not be visible there—implying a separation of spiritual attainments based on one’s inner discipline and merit.