Shloka 22

Sanatsujāta–Dhṛtarāṣṭra Saṃvāda: Pramāda as Mṛtyu

Chapter 42

Devanagari script

दमस्त्यागो<प्रमादश्न एतेष्वमृतमाहितम्‌ | तानि सत्यमुखान्याहुर्ब्राह्मणा ये मनीषिण:

Transliteration

damas tyāgo 'pramādaś ca eteṣv amṛtam āhitam | tāni satyamukhāny āhur brāhmaṇā ye manīṣiṇaḥ ||

Translation

Sanatsujāta said: “Self-restraint, renunciation, and vigilant freedom from heedlessness—within these is immortality enshrined. The wise Brahmins declare these to be the foremost gateways of truth.”

Word by Word

• दमः: self-control
• दमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्यागः: renunciation, giving up
• त्यागः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अप्रमादः: non-negligence, vigilance
• अप्रमादः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-प्रमाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एतेषु: in these
• एतेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

• अमृतम्: immortality, nectar (figuratively: the deathless good)
• अमृतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• आहितम्: placed, deposited, contained
• आहितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-धा (धातु) → आहित (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तानि: those (things)
• तानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• सत्यमुखानि: having truth as their face; truth-fronted
• सत्यमुखानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य-मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• आहुः: they say, they have said
• आहुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Third, Plural

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ये: who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मनीषिणः: wise, thoughtful
• मनीषिणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनीषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

सनत्युजात उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanatsujāta
• brāhmaṇāḥ (wise Brahmins)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Immortality (amṛtatva) is attained not through external status but through inner discipline: self-restraint (dama), renunciation (tyāga), and constant alertness against moral and spiritual negligence (apramāda). These are presented as the primary ‘gateways’ that lead one into truth.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Udyoga Parva, Sanatsujāta instructs the listener on higher dharma and liberation-oriented ethics. Here he condenses his counsel into three foundational practices, citing the testimony of wise Brahmins that these are the foremost means leading to truth and deathlessness.