Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

शिबिरौशीनरोडड्रानि सुतं च प्रियमौरसम्‌ | ब्राह्मणार्थमुपाहृत्य नाकपृष्ठमितो गत:

Transliteration

śibirauśīnaroḍḍrāni sutaṃ ca priyaṃ aurasam | brāhmaṇārtham upāhṛtya nākapṛṣṭham ito gataḥ ||

Translation

Vyāsa dit : Le roi Śibi, fils d’Uśīnara, offrit son propre corps—et même son fils légitime bien-aimé—pour un brāhmaṇa. Par ce don suprême accompli au service du dharma, il quitta ce monde et atteignit le séjour céleste.

Word by Word

• शिबिः: King Śibi
• शिबिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिबि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• औशीनरः: of the Uśīnara lineage/country
• औशीनरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: औशीनर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उद्यानि: gardens/parks
• उद्यानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्यान
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• सुतम्: son
• सुतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• प्रियम्: dear/beloved
• प्रियम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• औरसम्: born of his own body (legitimate)
• औरसम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: औरस
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ब्राह्मणार्थम्: for the sake of a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणार्थम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उपाहृत्य: having offered/brought (as a gift)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-हृ
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund)

• नाकपृष्ठम्: the surface of heaven (svarga)
• नाकपृष्ठम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाकपृष्ठ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इतः: from here
• इतः: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतः

• गतः: gone (went)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Śibi
• Uśīnara
• brāhmaṇa
• heaven (nākapṛṣṭha/svarga)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse upholds dāna and dharma as the highest royal virtues: a righteous king places the welfare and honor of a brāhmaṇa (and the demands of dharma) above personal attachment, even to body and offspring; such selfless giving is portrayed as leading to heavenly attainment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa cites the exemplary deed of King Śibi (son of Uśīnara): for a brāhmaṇa’s need he gives away his own body and his beloved legitimate son, and as a result he departs this world and reaches the heavenly realm (nākapṛṣṭha).