Shloka 45

अव्यक्त-मानस-सृष्टिवादः

Doctrine of Creation from the Unmanifest ‘Mānasa’

Devanagari script

यद्‌ यत्‌ यजति कामानां तत्‌ सुखस्याभिपूर्यते । कामानुसारी पुरुष: कामाननुविनश्यति

Transliteration

yad yat tyajati kāmānāṁ tat sukhasyābhipūryate | kāmānusārī puruṣaḥ kāmān anuvinaśyati ||

Translation

Quel que soit le désir qu’un homme renonce, ce renoncement même devient ce qui accomplit véritablement son bonheur. Mais celui qui court après les désirs est ruiné dans le sillage de ces désirs eux-mêmes.

Word by Word

• यत्: whatever (which)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• यत्: whatever (which)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• यजति: worships/sacrifices (for)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज्
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कामानाम्: of desires
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• सुखस्य: of happiness
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अभिपूर्यते: is fulfilled/is fully completed
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-पूॄ
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada (Passive sense)

• कामानुसारी: following desires
• कामानुसारी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम-अनुसारिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुरुषः: a man/person
• पुरुषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कामान्: desires
• कामान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अनुविनश्यति: perishes after/following (them); is ruined pursuing (them)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-वि-नश्
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Happiness is completed by letting go of desires; chasing desires makes one dependent on them and leads to ruin. The verse praises tyāga (relinquishment) and warns against kāmānusaraṇa (following craving).

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brahmin speaker delivers an ethical instruction within the Śānti Parva’s reflective discourse, contrasting the inner freedom gained by abandoning desires with the self-destruction that comes from pursuing them.