Shloka 16

Adhyāya 249 — Mṛtyu-prādurbhāvaḥ (The Manifestation of Death) / Restraint of Tejas and Ordered Saṃhāra

Devanagari script

यां तरन्ति कृतप्रज्ञा धृतिमन्तो मनीषिण: । तां तीर्ण: सर्वतो मुक्तो विधृतात्मा55त्मविच्छुचि:

Transliteration

yāṃ taranti kṛtaprajñā dhṛtimanto manīṣiṇaḥ | tāṃ tīrṇaḥ sarvato mukto vidhṛtātmātmavicchuciḥ ||

Translation

Vyāsa dit : «Cet état (ou ce passage) que les sages —ceux dont l’intelligence est accomplie et dont la résolution est ferme— peuvent franchir : l’ayant franchi, l’homme est libéré de toutes parts. Le soi bien gouverné et purifié par la connaissance de soi, il demeure délivré de tout lien.»

Word by Word

याम्which (path/way) / whom

तरन्तिcross (over)

कृतप्रज्ञाःof accomplished/steady wisdom

धृतिमन्तःendowed with fortitude

मनीषिणःsages/wise men

ताम्that (same) (path/way)

तीर्णःhaving crossed

सर्वतःfrom all sides / in every way

मुक्तःfreed/liberated

विधृतात्माone whose self is well-controlled/steadied

आत्मवित्knower of the Self

शुचिःpure

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Liberation is attained by crossing beyond a binding condition through perfected discernment, steadfast resolve, and disciplined self-mastery; self-knowledge purifies and results in comprehensive freedom.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic setting of the Śānti Parva, Vyāsa states a general principle: the wise cross a difficult existential passage, and once they have crossed it, they become free—purified and stabilized through self-knowledge and inner discipline.