Shloka 21

Adhyāya 287 — Janaka’s Inquiry on Śreyas, Abhayadāna, and Asaṅga

Non-attachment

Devanagari script

सत्य बोलना भी श्रेयस्कर है; परंतु सत्यको यथार्थरूपसे जानना कठिन है। मैं तो उसीको सत्य कहता हूँ, जिससे प्राणियोंका अत्यन्त हित होता हो ।। अहंकारस्य च त्याग: प्रमादस्य च निग्रह: । संतोषश्लैकचर्या च कूटस्थं श्रेय उच्यते,अहंकारका त्याग, प्रमादको रोकना, संतोष और एकान्तवास--यह सुनिश्चित श्रेय कहलाता है

Transliteration

satyaṁ bolanāpi śreyaskaraṁ; parantu satyaṁ yathārtharūpeṇa jñātuṁ kaṭhinam. ahaṁ tu tam eva satyaṁ vadāmi, yena prāṇinām atyantaṁ hitaṁ bhavati. ahaṅkārasya ca tyāgaḥ pramādasya ca nigrahaḥ, santoṣaś caikacaryā ca kūṭasthaṁ śreya ucyate.

Translation

Nārada said: Speaking the truth is indeed beneficial; yet to know truth in its exact reality is difficult. I call that alone “truth” by which living beings gain the highest welfare. The abandonment of ego, the restraint of heedlessness, contentment, and a life of solitude—these are declared to be the steady and unshakable good.

Word by Word

• {'satyaṁ': 'truth

• what is real/true', 'śreyaskaram / śreyaḥ': 'the good

• what leads to welfare and spiritual benefit', 'yathārtharūpeṇa': 'in accordance with reality

• as it truly is', 'jñātuṁ': 'to know, to understand', 'kaṭhinam': 'difficult', 'ahaṁ': 'I', 'eva': 'alone

• indeed', 'vadāmi': 'I say, I call', 'yena': 'by which

• through which', 'prāṇinām': 'of living beings', 'atyantam': 'supremely

• exceedingly', 'hitam': 'welfare

• benefit', 'bhavati': 'becomes

• comes to be', 'ahaṅkāra': 'ego-sense

• self-conceit', 'tyāgaḥ': 'abandonment

• renunciation', 'pramāda': 'heedlessness

• moral carelessness', 'nigrahaḥ': 'restraint

• control', 'santoṣaḥ': 'contentment', 'eka-caryā': 'solitary conduct

• living/acting alone (austere simplicity)', 'kūṭastham': 'steadfast

• firmly established', 'ucyate': 'is said

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Truth is not merely factual speech; the highest ‘truth’ is that which brings the greatest welfare to living beings. Ethical truthfulness is joined to compassion, and supported by inner disciplines—giving up ego, restraining carelessness, cultivating contentment, and adopting a simple, solitary mode of life.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma after the war, Nārada speaks as a teacher, refining the idea of satya (truth) and listing practical virtues that stabilize a person’s conduct and lead to lasting good.