Shloka 17

श्रेयो-धर्मकर्मविचारः

Inquiry into Śreyas, Dharma, and Karma

Devanagari script

कर्मणा स्वनुरक्तानि विरक्तानि च दानव | यथा कर्मविशेषांश्र प्राप्रुवन्ति तथा शूणु

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | karmaṇā svānuraktāni viraktāni ca dānava | yathā karma-viśeṣāṁś ca prāpnuvanti tathā śṛṇu |

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : Ô Dānava, les êtres s’attachent ou se détachent selon leurs actes. Écoute maintenant comment, selon des espèces particulières d’actions, ils en viennent à obtenir les états correspondants — ceux qui font naître la passion et ceux qui font naître le détachement.

Word by Word

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

• स्वनुरक्तानि: attached (devoted) to their own (karma)
• स्वनुरक्तानि: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वनुरक्त
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• विरक्तानि: detached (dispassionate)
• विरक्तानि: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरक्त
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

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

• दानव: O Dānava (descendant of Danu)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• यथा: as; in the manner that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• कर्मविशेषान्: particular kinds of actions (specific karmas)
• कर्मविशेषान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मविशेष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• प्राप्नुवन्ति: they attain/obtain
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• तथा: so; in that way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• शृणु: hear; listen
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Danava (addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That attachment and detachment are not random traits but arise from one’s actions: different kinds of karma cultivate corresponding mental dispositions and lead to matching outcomes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma addresses a Danava and introduces an explanation of how beings, shaped by specific actions, come to states of passion (raga) or dispassion (viraga), setting up a broader ethical teaching on karma and its results.