Shloka 26

अध्याय ३३७ — ज्ञानमार्ग-वैविध्यप्रश्नः तथा व्यासस्य नारायणोद्भवकथा

Systems of Knowledge and Vyāsa’s Nārāyaṇa-Origin

Devanagari script

सुतप्तं वस्तपो विप्रा: प्रसन्नेनान्तरात्मना

Transliteration

sutaptaṁ vastapo viprāḥ prasannenāntarātmanā

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „O Brāhmaṇen, die Askese, die ihr auf euch genommen habt, ist wohl erhitzt—wahrhaft wohl vollbracht—denn sie wird mit einem innerlich heiteren, gelassenen Herzen ausgeführt.“

Word by Word

• सुतप्तम्: well-performed / well-austered (well-heated, thoroughly practiced)
• सुतप्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-तप्त (तप् धातु, क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वः: of you (your)
• वः: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Plural

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• विप्राः: O brahmins
• विप्राः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Plural

• प्रसन्नेन: with a serene/pleased
• प्रसन्नेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अन्तरात्मना: inner self, inward mind
• अन्तरात्मना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तरात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• viprāḥ (brāhmaṇas/sages)
• tapas (austerity)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Austerity becomes truly effective and ethically meaningful when it is grounded in inner clarity and serenity; the state of the heart matters as much as the external practice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma addresses brāhmaṇas/sages and commends their tapas, emphasizing that their discipline is ‘well-performed’ because it is accompanied by a tranquil inner self.