Shloka 27

Gṛhastha-vṛtti and Niyama: Models of Householder Livelihood and Discipline (गृहस्थवृत्ति-नियमाः)

Devanagari script

श्रुतिविज्ञानतत्त्वज्ञ: शिष्टाचारो विचक्षण: । स्वधर्मेण क्रियावांक्ष॒ कर्मणा सो5प्यसंकर:

Transliteration

śrutivijñānatattvajñaḥ śiṣṭācāro vicakṣaṇaḥ | svadharmeṇa kriyāvāñchaḥ karmaṇā so 'py asaṅkaraḥ ||

Translation

Vyāsa dit : « Un brāhmane doit connaître le Veda et son sens, comprendre la vérité du réel, suivre la conduite des gens cultivés et faire preuve de discernement. Qu’il agisse avec ardeur selon son propre dharma ; mais que ses actes ne deviennent pas cause de “mélange” : qu’il ne brouille pas les frontières du devoir en mêlant son dharma à celui d’autrui. »

Word by Word

• श्रुति-विज्ञान-तत्त्व-ज्ञः: knower of the truth of śruti and (its) understanding
• श्रुति-विज्ञान-तत्त्व-ज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञ (धातु) / ज्ञ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक: ज्ञ)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शिष्ट-आचारः: one of proper conduct / well-behaved
• शिष्ट-आचारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विचक्षणः: discerning, intelligent
• विचक्षणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्व-धर्मेण: by/according to one’s own duty
• स्व-धर्मेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• क्रिया-वाञ्छः: desirous of performing acts
• क्रिया-वाञ्छः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाञ्छ् (धातु) / वाञ्छ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक: वाञ्छ)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कर्मणा: by action/deed
• कर्मणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)

• अ-संकरः: free from mixture/confusion (unmixed)
• अ-संकरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• brāhmaṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Cultivate scriptural learning and discernment, live by the standards of the wise, and perform one’s own dharma without creating confusion by mixing or appropriating duties that properly belong to another dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous living, Vyāsa lays down qualities and behavioral guidelines for a brāhmaṇa—knowledge of śruti, understanding of truth, good conduct, and careful adherence to svadharma without promoting dharma-confusion (saṅkara).