Shloka 35

Nakula’s Counsel on Yajña, Dāna, and Tyāga (नकुलोपदेशः—यज्ञदानत्यागविचारः)

Devanagari script

अन्तर्बहिश्व यत्‌ किंचिन्मनोव्यासंगकारकम्‌ | परित्यज्य भवेत्‌ त्यागी न हित्वा प्रतितिष्ठति,बाहर और भीतर जो कुछ भी मनको फँसानेवाली चीजें हैं, उन सबको छोड़नेसे मनुष्य त्यागी होता है। केवल घर छोड़ देनेसे त्यागकी सिद्धि नहीं होती

Transliteration

antarbahiś ca yat kiñcin manovyāsaṅgakārakam | parityajya bhavet tyāgī na hitvā pratitiṣṭhati ||

Translation

Nakula sprach: „Was immer es gibt — inwendig oder auswendig —, das den Geist verstrickt und Anhaftung erzeugt: Wer all dies aufgibt, wird wahrhaft zum Entsagenden. Entsagung wird nicht bloß dadurch vollendet, dass man das Haus verlässt; ohne inneres Festhalten aufzugeben, findet man keinen festen Stand in echter Loslösung.“

Word by Word

अन्तर्बहिःinside and outside

चand

यत्whatever (that which)

किञ्चित्anything

मनःof the mind

व्यासङ्गकारकम्causing attachment/clinging

परित्यज्यhaving abandoned

भवेत्would become / should be

त्यागीa renouncer

नnot

हित्वाhaving abandoned (e.g., merely leaving)

प्रतितिष्ठतिis established / attains firm standing

Speaker

नकुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nakula

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?

True tyāga is the abandonment of whatever creates mental attachment—both internal cravings and external objects of clinging. Mere physical withdrawal (such as leaving home) is insufficient without inner renunciation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and conduct, Nakula speaks to clarify the meaning of renunciation, emphasizing inner freedom from attachment over outward signs of ascetic life.