Shloka 31

Śaṅkha–Likhita Upākhyāna: Daṇḍa, Confession, and the Purification of Kingship (शङ्ख-लिखितोपाख्यानम्)

Devanagari script

विद्वांस्त्यागी श्रद्दधधान: कृतज्ञ- स्त्यक्त्वा लोकं मानुषं कर्म कृत्वा । मेधाविनां विदुषां सम्मतानां तनुत्यजां लोकमाक्रम्य राजा,वे विद्वान, त्यागी, श्रद्धालु और कृतज्ञ राजा हयग्रीव अपने कर्तव्यका पालन करके मनुष्यलोकको त्यागकर मेधावी, सर्वसम्मानित, ज्ञानी एवं पुण्य तीर्थोमें शरीरका त्याग करनेवाले पुण्यात्माओंके लोकमें जाकर स्थित हुए हैं

Transliteration

vidvāṁs tyāgī śraddadhānaḥ kṛtajñas tyaktvā lokaṁ mānuṣaṁ karma kṛtvā | medhāvināṁ viduṣāṁ sammatānāṁ tanutyajāṁ lokam ākramya rājā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: The king—wise, renouncing, full of faith, and grateful—having performed his human duties and then leaving the mortal world, attained the realm of those who are intelligent and learned, honored by all, and who lay down the body in holy places. There he came to abide.

Word by Word

विद्वान्learned, wise

त्यागीrenunciant, one who gives up

श्रद्दधधानःhaving faith, believing

कृतज्ञःgrateful

त्यक्त्वाhaving abandoned

लोकम्world, realm

मानुषम्human

कर्मdeed, duty, action

कृत्वाhaving done, having performed

मेधाविनाम्of the intelligent

विदुषाम्of the learned

सम्मतानाम्of the approved/esteemed

तनुत्यजाम्of those who abandon the body (die)

लोकम्world, realm

आक्रम्यhaving reached/entered

राजाking

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

the king (rājā)

mānuṣa-loka (human world)

the realm of medhāvins and vidvans (meritorious realm)

holy places (tīrthas) (implied by the Hindi gloss)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A life of wisdom, renunciation, faith in dharma, and gratitude—combined with the faithful performance of one’s duties—leads to an exalted end and a higher state after death.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a king who, after completing his worldly responsibilities, departs the human realm and attains the honored world of the learned and meritorious—those famed for relinquishing the body in sacred contexts.