Shloka 20

आरण्यकपर्वणि अध्यायः २१६ — इन्द्र-स्कन्द-संमुखता वज्रप्रहारश्च

Indra approaches Skanda; vajra strike and the arising of Viśākha

Devanagari script

येन कर्मविशेषेण प्राप्तेयं शूद्रता त्वया । एतदिच्छामि विज्ञातुं तत््वेन हि महामते । कामया ब्रूहि मे सर्व सत्येन प्रयतात्मना

Transliteration

yena karmaviśeṣeṇa prāpteyaṃ śūdratā tvayā | etad icchāmi vijñātuṃ tattvena hi mahāmate | kāmayā brūhi me sarvaṃ satyena prayatātmanā ||

Translation

Le brāhmane dit : «Par quel acte particulier en es-tu venu à obtenir cette condition de śūdra ? Je veux le connaître dans sa vraie nature, ô sage. Dis-moi tout de ton plein gré—avec vérité, l’esprit maîtrisé et purifié.»

Word by Word

• {'yena': 'by which', 'karma-viśeṣeṇa': 'by a specific/particular action (a distinct karmic deed)', 'prāptā': 'attained, obtained', 'iyam': 'this (state/condition)', 'śūdratā': 'the state of being a Śūdra

• śūdra-status', 'tvayā': 'by you / to you', 'etat': 'this', 'icchāmi': 'I wish, I desire', 'vijñātum': 'to know, to understand', 'tattvena': 'in truth

• in its essential reality', 'hi': 'indeed, surely', 'mahāmate': 'O great-minded one

• O wise one', 'kāmayā': 'willingly

• of your own accord', 'brūhi': 'tell (imperative)', 'me': 'to me', 'sarvam': 'everything', 'satyena': 'with truth

• truthfully', 'prayata-ātmanā': 'with a restrained, disciplined, purified mind/inner self'}

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• ब्राह्मण (Brāhmaṇa)
• शूद्र (Śūdra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes ethical inquiry into causality (karma) and insists that truthful speech should arise from inner discipline (prayatātman). It frames moral understanding as something to be sought “in truth” (tattvena), not through rumor or prejudice.

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa addresses a person identified as having attained śūdra-status and asks for the specific deed that led to that condition. He requests a voluntary, complete, and truthful account, setting a tone of confession and moral explanation.