Shloka 19

Devanagari script

इन्द्रियाण्येव तत्‌ सर्व यत्‌ स्वर्गनरकावुभौ । निगृहीतविसृष्टानि स्वर्गाय नरकाय च,स्वर्ग और नरक आदि जो कुछ भी है, वह सब इन्द्रियाँ ही हैं, अर्थात्‌ इन्द्रियाँ ही उनकी कारण हैं। वशमें की हुई इन्द्रियाँ स्वर्गकी प्राप्ति करानेवाली हैं और जिन्हें विषयोंकी ओर खुला छोड़ दिया गया है, वे इन्द्रियाँ नरकमें डालनेवाली हैं

Transliteration

indriyāṇy eva tat sarva yat svarganarākāv ubhau | nigṛhītavisṛṣṭāni svargāya narakāya ca ||

Translation

The hunter said: “All that is called heaven and hell is, in truth, nothing but the senses. When the senses are restrained and governed, they lead one toward heaven; when they are let loose and released toward their objects, those very senses cast one into hell.”

Word by Word

• {'indriyāṇi': 'the senses

• sense-faculties', 'eva': 'indeed

• only', 'tat sarvam': 'all that

• the whole of that', 'yat': 'which

• that which', 'svarga': 'heaven

• higher state of well-being/merit', 'naraka': 'hell

• state of suffering/demerit', 'ubhau': 'both (of them)', 'nigṛhīta': 'restrained

• controlled', 'visṛṣṭa': 'released

• allowed to roam', 'svargāya': 'for (attaining) heaven

• leading to heaven', 'narakāya': 'for (leading to) hell', 'ca': 'and'}

Speaker

व्याध उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyādha (the hunter)
• indriyāṇi (the senses)
• svarga (heaven)
• naraka (hell)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Heaven and hell are presented as outcomes rooted in one’s management of the senses: disciplined senses support dharma and merit, while unrestrained senses drive harmful actions and suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Vyādha’s discourse on dharma (the hunter’s instruction), he explains to his listener that moral destiny is not external or arbitrary; it arises from inner governance—especially the restraint or release of the senses.