Shloka 4

Sāttvika-vṛtta-kathana (Brahmā on the Conduct of Sattva) — Chapter 38

Devanagari script

मुधा ज्ञानं मुधा वृत्तं मुधा सेवा मुधा श्रम: । एवं यो युक्तधर्म: स्यात्‌ सोअमुत्रात्यन्तमश्षुते,नाना प्रकारकी सांसारिक जानकारी, सकाम व्यवहार, सेवा और श्रम व्यर्थ है--ऐसा समझकर जो कल्याणके साधनमें लग जाता है, वह परलोकमें अक्षय सुखका भागी होता है

Transliteration

mudhā jñānaṁ mudhā vṛttaṁ mudhā sevā mudhā śramaḥ | evaṁ yo yukta-dharmaḥ syāt so 'mutrātyantam aśnute ||

Translation

Vāyu said: “Worldly learning is futile; worldly conduct is futile; service and toil pursued for merely temporal ends are futile.” One who, understanding this, becomes devoted to the true means of welfare (dharma rightly applied) attains imperishable, unsurpassed happiness in the world beyond.

Word by Word

मुधाin vain, uselessly

ज्ञानम्knowledge

मुधाin vain

वृत्तम्conduct, behavior

मुधाin vain

सेवाservice

मुधाin vain

श्रमःtoil, effort

एवम्thus, in this way

यःwho

युक्तधर्मःone devoted/engaged in dharma

स्यात्would be, may be

सःhe

अमुत्रthere, in the other world

अत्यन्तम्exceedingly, utterly

अश्नुतेattains, enjoys

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyudeva (Wind-god)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Sandhi Notes