Shloka 55

अध्याय ३३७ — ज्ञानमार्ग-वैविध्यप्रश्नः तथा व्यासस्य नारायणोद्भवकथा

Systems of Knowledge and Vyāsa’s Nārāyaṇa-Origin

Devanagari script

महत्‌ कार्य च कर्तव्यं युष्माभिद्विजसत्तमा:

Transliteration

mahat kāryaṃ ca kartavyaṃ yuṣmābhir dvijasattamāḥ

Translation

La Deidad dijo: «Una gran tarea se alza ante vosotros, oh el mejor de los dos veces nacidos; en verdad, debéis emprenderla vosotros mismos».

Word by Word

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कार्यं: a task / what is to be done
• कार्यं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृ-धातोः यत्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• कर्तव्यं: must be done / to be done
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्तव्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृ-धातोः तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• युष्माभिः: by you (all)
• युष्माभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), तृतीया, बहुवचन

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजसत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, बहुवचन

Speaker

देव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• देव (a deity/divine speaker)
• द्विजसत्तमाः (excellent brāhmaṇas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That weighty obligations should be accepted and carried out when they fall within one’s rightful role—here, the divine voice emphasizes the binding nature of duty (kartavya) and the seriousness of the task (mahat kārya).

What is happening in the narrative?

A deity addresses a group of eminent brāhmaṇas, urging them to undertake an important undertaking. The line functions as a divine commission, framing the forthcoming action as necessary and dharmically mandated.