Shloka 22

शकुनि (हिरण्मय-पक्षी) उपदेशः — Vighasāśin and the Difficulty of Gārhasthya

Devanagari script

एतद्‌ विदुस्तपो विप्रा द्वन्द्ातीता विमत्सरा: । तस्माद्‌ व्रतं मध्यमं तु लोकेषु तप उच्यते

Transliteration

etad vidus tapo viprā dvandvātītā vimatsarāḥ | tasmād vrataṁ madhyamaṁ tu lokeṣu tapa ucyate ||

Translation

ព្រះព្រាហ្មណ៍ដែលលើសផុតពីគូប្រឆាំងទាំងឡាយ ហើយគ្មានចិត្តច嫉ឬអាសូរ ចេះដឹងថា នេះឯងជាតបៈពិតប្រាកដ។ ដូច្នេះ ទោះបីក្នុងលោកគេហៅការរក្សាវ្រតក៏ថា «តបៈ» ក្តី វានៅត្រឹមថ្នាក់មធ្យម បើប្រៀបនឹងវិន័យខ្ពស់ជាងគេ គឺសមតាខាងក្នុង និងការបំពេញកិច្ចសក្ការៈដោយមិនស្វែងប្រយោជន៍ខ្លួន។

Word by Word

• {'etad': 'this (very thing)', 'viduḥ': 'know, understand (perfect/preterite sense: ‘have known’)', 'tapaḥ': 'austerity

• disciplined self-restraint', 'viprāḥ': 'Brahmins

• learned sages', 'dvandvātītāḥ': 'those who have gone beyond dualities (pleasure/pain, gain/loss, honor/dishonor, etc.)', 'vimatsarāḥ': 'free from matsara (envy, jealousy, spite)', 'tasmāt': 'therefore, for that reason', 'vratam': 'vow

• self-imposed rule', 'madhyamam': 'middling

• intermediate in rank', 'tu': 'but

• indeed (contrast/emphasis)', 'lokeṣu': 'in the world

• among people', 'ucyate': 'is called

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• viprāḥ (Brahmins)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True tapas is primarily inner: freedom from envy and transcendence of dualities. External vows may be called austerity, but they are secondary unless grounded in inner equanimity and purity of intent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna articulates a doctrinal point within the Shanti Parva’s ethical instruction: he reports what wise Brahmins regard as genuine austerity, contrasting inner transformation with merely external observances.