Shloka 16

Āśrama-dharma and Brahmacarya: Śuka’s Inquiry on Karma and Tyāga (शुक-प्रश्नः कर्मत्यागविवेकश्च)

Devanagari script

अनुनीय यथाकामं सत्यसंधो महाव्रतः । स्वै: प्राणैब्राह्मणप्राणान्‌ परित्राय दिवं गत:

Transliteration

anūnīya yathākāmaṃ satyasaṃdho mahāvrataḥ | svaiḥ prāṇair brāhmaṇaprāṇān paritrāya divaṃ gataḥ ||

Translation

Vyāsa dit : «Fidèle à son vœu et inébranlable dans la vérité, ce grand observateur de vœux, après avoir apaisé l’autre partie selon son désir, protégea la vie d’un brāhmaṇa au prix de son propre souffle vital. Ayant ainsi soutenu le dharma par le sacrifice de soi, il atteignit le ciel.»

Word by Word

• अनुनीय: having conciliated / having entreated
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-नी
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (ल्यप्), कर्तरि

• यथा: as / according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• कामम्: desire; wish
• कामम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सत्यसन्धः: true to his vow / faithful to truth
• सत्यसन्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्यसन्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महाव्रतः: of great vow; great-vowed
• महाव्रतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाव्रत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वैः: with his own
• स्वैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• प्राणैः: by (his) life-breaths; with (his) life
• प्राणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• ब्राह्मणप्राणान्: the life(s) of a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणप्राणान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणप्राण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• परित्राय: having protected / having saved
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-त्रा
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (ल्यप्), कर्तरि

• दिवम्: to heaven
• दिवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (दिव)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• गतः: gone; went
• गतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), कर्तरि-प्रयोग (गतः = he went), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• a vow-observing king (unnamed in this verse)
• a Brāhmaṇa
• Svarga (heaven)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is upheld through truthfulness and self-sacrifice: protecting an innocent (here, a Brāhmaṇa) even at the cost of one’s own life is presented as a supreme ethical act that leads to heavenly merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa recounts an exemplary deed: a great-vowed, truth-steadfast king, after conciliating others as needed, saves a Brāhmaṇa’s life by giving up his own life-breath, and as a result attains heaven.