Shloka 11

Devanagari script

दुष्करं हि कृतं कर्म जानता जातिमात्मन: । लोक वृत्तान्ततत्त्वज्ञ नित्यं धर्मपरायण:,जिसके फलस्वरूप आपको अपने पूर्वजन्मकी बातोंका ज्ञान बना हुआ है, वह पिता- माताकी सेवारूप कर्म दूसरोंके लिये दुष्कर है; किंतु आपने उसे सम्पन्न कर लिया है। आप लोकवृत्तान्तका तत्त्व जानते हैं और सदा धर्ममें तत्पर रहते हैं

Transliteration

duṣkaraṃ hi kṛtaṃ karma jānātā jātim ātmanaḥ | loka-vṛttānta-tattva-jña nityaṃ dharma-parāyaṇaḥ ||

Translation

Truly, you have accomplished a deed that is difficult for others to perform. Because you retain knowledge of the events of your former birth, you have been able to carry out the demanding duty of serving one’s father and mother. You understand the true principles behind the ways of the world, and you are ever devoted to dharma.

Word by Word

• {'duṣkaram': 'hard to do, difficult', 'hi': 'indeed, surely', 'kṛtam': 'done, accomplished', 'karma': 'act, deed

• duty in practice', 'jānātā': 'knowing

• one who knows', 'jātim': 'birth

• one’s birth/state of being (here: former birth)', 'ātmanaḥ': 'of oneself', 'loka': 'world

• people', 'vṛttānta': 'course of events

• account of what happens', 'tattva-jña': 'knower of truth/principle

• one who understands the essence', 'nityam': 'always, continually', 'dharma-parāyaṇaḥ': 'one devoted to dharma

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse praises steadfast dharma expressed as difficult, concrete duty—especially service to one’s parents—and links ethical excellence with clear understanding of worldly realities and the moral law (dharma).

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa speaker commends the addressed person for successfully completing a demanding duty (identified in the accompanying sense as service to father and mother), noting that the person’s awareness of a former birth and insight into worldly conduct support their unwavering commitment to dharma.