Shloka 20

Aśoka-śāstra: Nārada’s Instruction on the Cessation of Śoka

Grief

Devanagari script

ससांख्यधारणं चैव विदितात्मा नरर्षभ | जयेच्च मृत्युं योगेन तत्परेणान्तरात्मना

Transliteration

sa-sāṅkhya-dhāraṇaṃ caiva viditātmā nararṣabha | jayec ca mṛtyuṃ yogena tatpareṇāntarātmanā ||

Translation

Yājñavalkya said: “O bull among men, one who has truly known the Self, and who practices steady concentration in accordance with Sāṅkhya and Yoga, conquers death by Yoga—by fixing the inner self wholly upon the Supreme.”

Word by Word

• ससांख्यधारणम्: retention/concentration along with Sāṅkhya (knowledge)
• ससांख्यधारणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स-सांख्य-धारण (धारण)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• विदितात्मा: one who has known the Self
• विदितात्मा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विदित-आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नरर्षभ: O bull among men
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर-ऋषभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• जयेत्: should conquer
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• योगेन: by yoga
• योगेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• तत्परेण: by being devoted to That (the Supreme)
• तत्परेण: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्-पर
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अन्तरात्मना: with the inner self
• अन्तरात्मना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तरात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• याज्ञवल्क्य (Yājñavalkya)
• नरर्षभ (addressed interlocutor, 'bull among men')
• सांख्य (Sāṅkhya)
• योग (Yoga)
• अन्तरात्मन् (inner self)
• परमात्मन्/तत् (the Supreme, implied by tatpara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Self-realization supported by disciplined concentration (dhāraṇā), aligned with Sāṅkhya insight and Yogic practice, enables one to transcend mortality—'conquering death'—by fixing the inner self unwaveringly on the Supreme.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yājñavalkya instructs an addressed noble listener ('nararṣabha') in a liberation-oriented doctrine: combine Sāṅkhya-based knowledge of the Self with yogic concentration, culminating in meditative absorption where the inner self is placed in the Supreme.