Shloka 4

Devanagari script

एतदेकपदं शक्र सर्वतलोकसुखावहम्‌ । आचरनू्‌ सर्वभूतेषु प्रियो भवति सर्वदा,शक्र! यही एक वस्तु सम्पूर्ण जगत्‌के लिये सुखदायक है। इसको आचरणमें लानेवाला मनुष्य सदा समस्त प्राणियोंका प्रिय होता है

Transliteration

etad ekapadaṃ śakra sarvalokasukhāvaham | ācaran sarvabhūteṣu priyo bhavati sarvadā ||

Translation

Śakra dit : « Ce principe unique est une source de bonheur pour tous les mondes. Celui qui le met en pratique envers tous les êtres vivants devient, en tout temps, cher à tous. »

Word by Word

एतत्this

एकपदम्one word/one principle

शक्रO Śakra (Indra)

सर्वतलोकसुखावहम्bringing happiness to all the worlds

आचरन्practising/observing

सर्वभूतेषुamong/in all beings

प्रियःdear/beloved

भवतिbecomes/is

सर्वदाalways

शक्रO Śakra

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śakra (Indra)

sarvaloka (all worlds)

sarvabhūta (all beings)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A single, concise ethical rule—when genuinely practised in one’s dealings with all beings—creates universal well-being and makes the practitioner beloved. The emphasis is on lived conduct (ācāra), not mere knowledge.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic setting of the Śānti Parva, Śakra (Indra) speaks as an authoritative voice on dharma, presenting a compact maxim and highlighting its practical effect: harmony with all beings and the resulting affection and trust of others.