Shloka 18

आरण्यकपर्वणि अध्यायः २१६ — इन्द्र-स्कन्द-संमुखता वज्रप्रहारश्च

Indra approaches Skanda; vajra strike and the arising of Viśākha

Devanagari script

मातापितृभ्यां शुश्रूषां करिष्ये वचनात्‌ तव । नाकृतात्मा वेदयति धर्माधर्मविनिश्चयम्‌

Transliteration

mātāpitr̥bhyāṁ śuśrūṣāṁ kariṣye vacanāt tava | nākṛtātmā vedayati dharmādharmaviniścayam ||

Translation

Atas titahmu, aku akan berbakti dan melayani ibu serta ayahku. Sebab orang yang batinnya belum disucikan dan ditundukkan tidak mampu menimbang dengan benar keputusan antara dharma dan adharma.

Word by Word

• माता: mother
• माता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• पितृभ्याम्: to/for the two parents (father and mother)
• पितृभ्याम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Dual

• शुश्रूषाम्: service, attendance
• शुश्रूषाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुश्रूषा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• करिष्ये: I shall do
• करिष्ये: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), First, Singular, Ātmanepada

• वचनात्: from (your) word; according to (your) command
• वचनात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• तव: of you; your
• तव: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अकृतात्मा: one whose inner self is not disciplined/purified
• अकृतात्मा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकृतात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वेदयति: makes known; knows/understands
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (वेदयति, causative)
• Form: Present (Laṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धर्म: dharma, righteousness
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, —, —

• अधर्म: adharma, unrighteousness
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्म
• Form: Masculine, —, —

• विनिश्चयम्: decision, determination
• विनिश्चयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनिश्चय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• ब्राह्मण (a Brahmin speaker)
• माता (mother)
• पिता (father)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True moral judgment (deciding between dharma and adharma) requires an inner life that is cultivated—self-controlled, purified, and disciplined. Without such inner refinement, one’s pronouncements on ethics lack authority and clarity.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brahmin speaker affirms obedience to an instruction by committing to serve his parents. He then adds a reflective ethical principle: only a person with a trained and purified inner self is fit to determine and articulate what is truly righteous or unrighteous.