Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अवाप्यैतानि कर्माणि वेदोक्तानि धनंजय । दानमध्ययन यज्ञो निग्रहश्रैव दुर्गह:,“धनंजय! दान, अध्ययन, यज्ञ और निग्रह--ये सभी कर्म बहुत कठिन हैं। इन वेदोक्त कर्मोंका (सकामभावसे) आश्रय लेकर लोग सूर्यके दक्षिण मार्गसे स्वर्गमें जाते हैं। इन कर्ममार्गी पुरुषोंके लोकोंकी चर्चा मैं पहले भी कर चुका हूँ

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

avāpyaitāni karmāṇi vedoktāni dhanaṃjaya |

dānam adhyayanaṃ yajño nigrahaś caiva durgahaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O Dhanaṃjaya, these Veda-enjoined acts—charity, sacred study, sacrifice, and self-restraint—are indeed difficult. Yet, relying on these Vedic duties with desire for their fruits, people go to heaven by the sun’s southern course. I have already spoken of the worlds attained by such followers of the ritual path.”

Word by Word

• {'vaiśampāyana uvāca': 'Vaiśampāyana said', 'avāpya': 'having undertaken/obtained

• having resorted to', 'etāni': 'these', 'karmāṇi': 'acts, rites, duties', 'vedoktāni': 'enjoined/declared by the Veda', 'dhanaṃjaya': 'O Dhanaṃjaya (Arjuna), ‘conqueror of wealth’', 'dānam': 'gift, charity, giving', 'adhyayanam': 'study, recitation/learning (especially of the Veda)', 'yajñaḥ': 'sacrifice, ritual offering', 'nigrahaḥ': 'restraint, self-control, discipline', 'ca eva': 'and indeed', 'durgahaḥ': 'hard to grasp/undertake

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dhanaṃjaya (Arjuna)
• Veda

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Veda-prescribed duties—charity, sacred study, sacrifice, and self-restraint—are difficult but powerful; when pursued with desire for results, they lead to heavenly attainment, illustrating the fruit-oriented ritual path (karma-mārga).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana continues an explanatory discourse, addressing Arjuna (Dhanaṃjaya) and summarizing the demanding nature of Vedic practices and the kind of posthumous destination (heaven via the southern course) associated with those who rely on such rites for reward.