Shloka 36

Nārāyaṇasya Guhya-nāmāni Niruktāni (Etymologies of Nārāyaṇa’s Secret Epithets) / नारायणस्य गुह्यनामानि निरुक्तानि

Devanagari script

विद्या कर्म च शौचं च ज्ञानं च बहुविस्तरम्‌ । अर्थार्थमनुसार्यन्ते सिद्धार्थश्व॒ विमुच्यते

Transliteration

vidyā karma ca śaucaṁ ca jñānaṁ ca bahuvistaram | arthārtham anusāryante siddhārthaś ca vimucyate ||

Translation

Nārada dit : «L’étude, l’action, la pureté, et même le savoir déployé en de multiples branches, tout cela est recherché en vue du but suprême. Lorsque ce but est atteint—lorsque la finalité la plus haute est accomplie—l’être est délivré (atteint la moksha)».

Word by Word

• {'vidyā': 'learning

• spiritual and scriptural education', 'karma': 'action

• prescribed duty and disciplined practice', 'śaucam': 'purity

• cleanliness and inner moral purity', 'jñānam': 'knowledge

• discriminative insight into reality', 'bahu-vistaram': 'very extensive

• elaborated in many details/branches', 'artha': 'aim, purpose

• (in this context) the highest end, i.e., realization of the Supreme Self', 'arthārtham': 'for the sake of that aim

• for the sake of the highest purpose', 'anusāryante': 'are followed/pursued

• are taken as means', 'siddha-arthaḥ': 'one whose purpose is accomplished

• one who has attained the goal', 'vimucyate': 'is freed

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

All disciplines—study (vidyā), dutiful action (karma), purity (śauca), and extensive knowledge (jñāna)—are instruments aimed at the highest end (artha), namely realization of the Supreme Self. Once that end is attained, the seeker becomes free (vimucyate).

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and liberation, Nārada is explaining a hierarchy of means and ends: spiritual practices and learning are valuable as supports, but their purpose is fulfilled only when the ultimate goal is realized, culminating in liberation.