Shloka 7

Devanagari script

निवृत्ति: कर्मण: पापात्‌ सततं पुण्यशीलता । सद्वृत्ति: समुदाचार: श्रेय एतदनुत्तमम्‌,पापकर्मोंसे दूर रहना, सदा पुण्यकर्मोंका अनुष्ठान करना, श्रेष्ठ पुरुषोंके-से बर्ताव और सदाचारका पालन करना--यही सर्वोत्तम श्रेय (कल्याण)-का साधन है

Transliteration

nivṛttiḥ karmaṇaḥ pāpāt satataṁ puṇyaśīlatā | sadvṛttiḥ samudācāraḥ śreya etad anuttamam ||

Translation

ಪಾಪಕರ್ಮಗಳಿಂದ ನಿವೃತ್ತರಾಗುವುದು, ಸದಾ ಪುಣ್ಯಕರ್ಮಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ಥಿರವಾಗಿರುವುದು, ಸಜ್ಜನರಂತೆ ವರ್ತಿಸಿ ಸದಾಚಾರವನ್ನು ಪಾಲಿಸುವುದು—ಇದೇ ಅನುತ್ತಮ ಶ್ರೇಯಸ್ಸಿನ ಸಾಧನ.

Word by Word

निवृत्तिःcessation; abstaining

कर्मणःfrom action/deed

पापात्from sin/evil

सततम्always; constantly

पुण्यशीलताvirtuous disposition; habit of merit

सद्वृत्तिःgood conduct

समुदाचारःproper practice; good custom

श्रेयःthe good; welfare

एतत्this

अनुत्तमम्unsurpassed; supreme

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse defines the highest welfare (śreyas) as a threefold discipline: abstaining from sinful deeds, consistently practicing meritorious actions, and aligning one’s behavior with the established good conduct and customs of the virtuous.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Nārada speaks as a moral teacher, summarizing practical markers of dharma—what to avoid (pāpa), what to cultivate (puṇya), and how to live (sadācāra)—as guidance for right living.