Shloka 6

धन-यज्ञ-दानविवेकः

Wealth, Sacrifice, and Disciplined Giving

Devanagari script

कर्मनिष्ठां श्न बुद्धयेथास्तपोनिष्ठां श्व पार्थिव । वैखानसानां कौन्तेय वचन श्रूयते यथा,राजन! तुम्हें मालूम होना चाहिये कि ऋषियोंमें कुछ लोग कर्मनिष्ठ और तपोनिष्ठ भी होते हैं। कुन्तीनन्दन! वैखानस महात्माओंका वचन इस प्रकार सुननेमें आता है--

Transliteration

karmanīṣṭhāṃ ca buddhyethās tapo-nīṣṭhāṃ ca pārthiva | vaikhānasānāṃ kaunteya vacanaṃ śrūyate yathā ||

Translation

Ô roi, sache que parmi les voyants il en est qui demeurent fermes dans le karma, l’action rituelle, et d’autres qui demeurent fermes dans le tapas, l’austérité. Ô fils de Kuntī, telle est la parole que l’on entend des sages Vaikhānasa—ainsi s’ouvre leur avis faisant autorité sur les justes orientations de la vie religieuse.

Word by Word

कर्मनिष्ठान्those devoted to action

चand

बुद्धयेथाःyou should understand/know

तपोनिष्ठान्those devoted to austerity

चand

पार्थिवO king

वैखानसानाम्of the Vaikhānasas

कौन्तेयO son of Kuntī

वचनम्statement/teaching

श्रूयतेis heard/is said

यथाas/thus

राजन्O king

Speaker

देवस्थान उवाच

Characters & Entities

Devāsthāna (speaker)

Pārthiva (the king, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira by context)

Kaunteya (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Vaikhānasa sages

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse distinguishes two legitimate orientations among ṛṣis: commitment to dharma through prescribed action (karmanīṣṭhā) and commitment through austerity and renunciation (tapo-nīṣṭhā), presenting both as recognized, tradition-backed modes of righteous life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Devāsthāna addresses the king (Kaunteya/Yudhiṣṭhira), introducing a traditional Vaikhānasa teaching. The speaker frames the discussion by noting that sages follow different disciplines, preparing the listener for an authoritative exposition that follows.