Shloka 19

Devanagari script

उपपन्नं हि यत्‌ प्राज्ञो निस्तरेन्नेतरो जन: । दूरतो गुणदोषीौ हि प्राज्ञ: सर्वत्र पश्यति,विद्वान्‌ पुरुष जो कालनदसे पार हो जाता है और अज्ञानी मनुष्य नहीं पार होता है, यह युक्तिसंगत ही है; क्योंकि ज्ञानवान्‌ पुरुष सर्वत्र गुण और दोषोंको दूरसे ही देख लेता है

Transliteration

upapannaṃ hi yat prājño nistaren netaro janaḥ | dūrato guṇadoṣau hi prājñaḥ sarvatra paśyati ||

Translation

It is only reasonable that a wise person can cross over (a peril or difficulty), while an ordinary, unknowing person cannot. For the discerning see, from a distance and in every situation, both the merits and the faults—and thus choose their course with foresight.

Word by Word

उपपन्नम्proper, reasonable, well-founded

हिindeed, for

यत्that which

प्राज्ञःthe wise man

निस्तरेत्would cross over, should get across

नnot

इतरःthe other (i.e., non-wise)

जनःperson, man

दूरतःfrom afar

गुणदोषौmerit and fault

हिindeed, for

प्राज्ञःthe wise man

सर्वत्रeverywhere

पश्यतिsees

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Wisdom is shown by foresight: the discerning person anticipates consequences by recognizing virtues and faults in advance, and therefore can ‘cross over’ dangers that overwhelm the unwise.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic discourse of the Śānti Parva, Vyāsa states a general principle about practical discernment: the wise succeed in navigating life’s difficulties because they perceive pros and cons early, whereas the ignorant fail for lack of such insight.