Shloka 34

Brahma-vidyā: Satya–Tapas and the Enumeration of Tattvas

Arjuna–Vāsudeva framed dialogue

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत आश्वमेधिकपर्वके अन्तर्गत अनुगीतापर्वमें ब्राह्मणगीताविषयक चौंतीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ

Transliteration

brahma satyaṃ tapaḥ satyaṃ satyaṃ caiva prajāpatiḥ | satyād bhūtāni jātāni satyaṃ bhūtamayaṃ jagat ||

Translation

Arjuna dit : « Brahman est vérité ; l’austérité est vérité ; et Prajāpati aussi est vérité. De la vérité naissent tous les êtres, et ce monde—fait d’êtres—est lui-même de la nature de la vérité. »

Word by Word

• ब्रह्म: Brahman (the Absolute)
• ब्रह्म: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यम्: truth; real
• सत्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तपः: austerity; penance
• तपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यम्: truth; real
• सत्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यम्: truth; real
• सत्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• एव: indeed; just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• प्रजापतिः: Prajapati (Lord of creatures)
• प्रजापतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजापति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यात्: from truth
• सत्यात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• भूतानि: beings; entities
• भूतानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• जातानि: born; arisen
• Type: Verb
• Root: जात
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural, Past passive participle (kta), जन्

• सत्यम्: truth; real
• सत्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• भूतमयम्: consisting of beings/elements
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूतमय
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• जगत्: world; universe
• जगत्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Brahman
• Prajāpati
• bhūtāni (beings)
• jagat (world)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse identifies truth (satya) as the foundation of ultimate reality (Brahman), spiritual discipline (tapas), and the creative principle (Prajāpati), asserting that all beings arise from truth and that the world is grounded in that reality.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within the Anugītā section of the Aśvamedhika Parva, Arjuna voices a doctrinal summary emphasizing satya as the source and substance of creation, aligning ethical truthfulness with metaphysical reality.