Shloka 273

Adhyāya 262: Śabda-brahman, Para-brahman, and the Ethics of Tyāga

Kapila–Syūmaraśmi Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

परिनिछितकर्माण: प्रजानुग्रहकाम्यया । ज्ञानी ब्राह्मणोंने अपनेको ही यज्ञका उपकरण मानकर मानसिक यज्ञका अनुष्ठान किया है। उन्होंने प्रजाहितकी कामनासे ही मानसिक यज्ञका अनुष्ठान किया है

Transliteration

pariniścita-karmāṇaḥ prajā-anugraha-kāmyayā | jñānī brāhmaṇaḥ ātmānam eva yajñasya upakaraṇaṃ matvā mānasa-yajñasya anuṣṭhānaṃ kṛtavān | sa prajā-hita-kāmanayā eva mānasa-yajñasya anuṣṭhānaṃ kṛtavān |

Translation

Chulādhāra said: “With actions firmly resolved and undertaken for the sake of showing compassion to living beings, the wise brāhmaṇa performed a sacrifice within the mind. Taking his own self to be the very instrument of the sacrifice, he carried out this inner rite solely from the desire to promote the welfare of the people.”

Word by Word

• परिनिश्चितकर्माणः: those whose actions are well-determined/fully ascertained
• परिनिश्चितकर्माणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-निश्चित-कर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रजा-अनुग्रह-काम्यया: by/with the desire to show favor to the people
• प्रजा-अनुग्रह-काम्यया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा-अनुग्रह-काम्य
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

चुलाधार उवाच

Characters & Entities

• चुलाधार (Chulādhāra)
• ब्राह्मण (a wise brāhmaṇa)
• यज्ञ (yajña)
• आत्मा (self)
• प्रजा (people/creatures)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True sacrifice can be internal: a wise person treats the self as the instrument of worship and performs a ‘mental yajña’ motivated not by display or gain, but by compassion and the welfare of all beings.

What is happening in the narrative?

Chulādhāra describes a spiritually wise brāhmaṇa who, with firm resolve, performs an inward (mental) sacrifice. The emphasis is on intention—undertaking disciplined inner practice specifically for the benefit of the people/creatures.