Shloka 2

सान्त्व-निति: (Sāntva-Nīti) — The One-Word Principle of Conciliation

Devanagari script

शक्र उवाच कि स्विदेकपदं ब्रह्मन्‌ पुरुष: सम्यगाचरन्‌ । प्रमाणं सर्वभूतानां यशश्रैवाप्रुयान्महत्‌

Transliteration

śakra uvāca: kiṁ svid ekapadaṁ brahman puruṣaḥ samyag ācaran | pramāṇaṁ sarvabhūtānāṁ yaśaś caivāpnuyān mahat ||

Translation

Shakra (Indra) fragte: „O Brahmane, welches ist jenes Prinzip, das mit einem einzigen Wort benannt wird und das, wenn ein Mensch es recht ausübt, ihn zum Maßstab für alle Wesen macht und ihm großen Ruhm verleiht?“

Word by Word

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• किम्: what?
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• स्वित्: indeed / I wonder (interrogative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वित्

• एकपदम्: single-word (single term)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकपद
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin / O sage
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पुरुषः: a man
• पुरुषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सम्यक्: properly, rightly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक्

• आचरन्: practising, observing
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चर्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रमाणम्: authority/standard; measure
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वभूत
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• यशः: fame, glory
• यशः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यशस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• आप्नुयात्: would attain
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप्
• Form: Optative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• महत्: great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Brahman (addressed sage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical inquiry: there exists a concise, single-term virtue whose proper practice makes a person exemplary (pramāṇa) to all beings and brings lasting renown. It emphasizes that true fame is grounded in right conduct rather than power or status.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra (Śakra) addresses a brahmin/sage and asks a pointed question: identify the ‘one-word’ principle that, when lived correctly, makes one beloved and authoritative among creatures and yields great fame. The verse sets up a didactic response about a central moral virtue.