Shloka 28

Nārada’s Darśana of Viśvarūpa Nārāyaṇa and the Caturmūrti Doctrine (नारदस्य नारायणदर्शनं चतुर्मूर्तिविचारश्च)

Devanagari script

राजसांस्तामसांश्वैव नित्यं दोषान्‌ विवर्जयेत्‌ । साच््विकं मार्गमास्थाय पश्येदात्मानमात्मना

Transliteration

rājasāṁs tāmasāṁś caiva nityaṁ doṣān vivarjayet | sāttvikaṁ mārgam āsthāya paśyed ātmānam ātmanā ||

Translation

Dijo Janaka: Debe uno abandonar constantemente las faltas nacidas de la pasión (rajas) y de la oscuridad (tamas). Acogiéndose al sendero sāttvika, debe contemplar el Sí mismo por el Sí mismo—mediante claridad interior y discernimiento disciplinado.

Word by Word

राजसान्rajasic (faults)

तामसान्tamasic (faults)

चand

एवindeed/just

नित्यम्always

दोषान्faults

विवर्जयेत्should avoid/abandon

सात्त्विकम्sattvic

मार्गम्path

आस्थायhaving adopted/taken up

पश्येत्should see/realize

आत्मानम्the Self

आत्मनाby/with the self (oneself)

Speaker

जनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Janaka

Ātman (Self)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Abandon the recurring defects rooted in rajas (passion) and tamas (delusion), and cultivate a sāttvika mode of life; through that purity and steadiness, realize the Ātman directly by inner awareness and discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instructional setting, King Janaka speaks as a teacher of inner wisdom, prescribing a practical ethical-spiritual discipline: reject lower tendencies and adopt the sāttvika path so that self-realization becomes possible.