Shloka 32
Karma, Preta-gati, and the Continuity of Phala
Mārkaṇḍeya’s Instruction
सर्वे सर्वास्वपत्यानि जनयन्ति सदा नरा: | वाड्मैथुनमथो जन्म मरणं च सम॑ नृणाम्,सभी मनुष्य सदा सब जातियोंकी स्त्रियोंसे संतान उत्पन्न कर रहे हैं। वाणी, मैथुन तथा जन्म और मरण--ये सब मनुष्योंमें एक-से देखे जाते हैं। इस विषयमें यह आर्षप्रमाण भी मिलता है--'ये यजामहे' यह श्रुति जातिका निश्चय न होनेके कारण ही जो हमलोग यज्ञ कर रहे हैं, ऐसा सामान्यरूपसे निर्देश करती है। इसलिये जो तत्त्वदर्शी विद्वान हैं, वे शीलको ही प्रधानता देते हैं और उसे ही अभीष्ट मानते हैं
sarve sarvāsv apatyāni janayanti sadā narāḥ | vāg maithunam atho janma maraṇaṁ ca samaṁ nṛṇām |
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “All men, at all times, beget offspring with women of every group. Speech, sexual union, and likewise birth and death—these are seen as the same among human beings. Therefore, those who truly discern reality give primacy to conduct and character, and regard that alone as the decisive standard.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes that fundamental human realities—speech, sexuality, birth, and death—are common to all people; therefore, moral conduct (śīla) is the primary criterion for judging a person, rather than birth or group identity.
Yudhiṣṭhira is arguing a dharmic point in discussion: since human nature and life-cycle are shared across communities, the wise prioritize ethical character when determining worth and propriety.