Shloka 21

Skanda–Mātṛgaṇa-janma: Kumārakāḥ, Kanyāgaṇāḥ, and the Vīrāṣṭaka (स्कन्द-मातृगण-सम्भवः)

Devanagari script

शोचतो न भवेत्‌ किंचित्‌ केवलं परितप्यते। परित्यजन्ति ये दुःखं सुखं वाप्युभयं नरा:,केवल शोक करनेसे कुछ नहीं होता, संतापमात्र ही हाथ लगता है। जो ज्ञानतृप्त मनीषी मानव सुख और दु:ख दोनोंका परित्याग कर देते हैं, वे ही सुखी होते हैं। मूढ़ मनुष्य असंतोषी होते हैं और ज्ञानवानोंको संतोष प्राप्त होता है

Transliteration

vyādha uvāca | śocato na bhavet kiñcit kevalaṃ paritapyate | parityajanti ye duḥkhaṃ sukhaṃ vāpy ubhayaṃ narāḥ |

Translation

ಶೋಕಿಸಿದರೆ ಏನೂ ಲಾಭವಿಲ್ಲ; ಒಳಗೇ ದಹನ ಮಾತ್ರ ಉಳಿಯುತ್ತದೆ. ದುಃಖವನ್ನೂ—ಸুখವನ್ನೂ ಸಹ, ಅಂದರೆ ಎರಡನ್ನೂ—ತ್ಯಜಿಸುವವರು ಶಾಂತಿಯನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆ; ಮೋಹಗ್ರಸ್ತರು ಅಸಂತೋಷದಲ್ಲೇ ಇರುತ್ತಾರೆ, ಜ್ಞಾನಿಗಳು ಬೋಧೆಯಿಂದ ಸಂತೋಷವನ್ನು ಹೊಂದುತ್ತಾರೆ.

Word by Word

{'vyādhaḥ''hunter

the speaker in this discourse', 'uvāca''said', 'śocataḥ': 'of one who grieves

while grieving', 'na bhavet''does not arise

does not come about', 'kiñcit''anything

any benefit', 'kevalam''only

merely', 'paritapyate''is tormented

is scorched with distress', 'parityajanti''abandon

let go', 'ye''those who', 'duḥkham': 'sorrow

suffering', 'sukham''pleasure

happiness', 'vā api''or even

and also', 'ubhayam''both (pleasure and pain)', 'narāḥ': 'people

Speaker

व्याध उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyādha (the hunter)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Grief is unproductive and only intensifies inner suffering; true well-being comes from wisdom-born contentment and equanimity—letting go of attachment to both pleasure and pain.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Vana Parva’s dharma-instruction context, the hunter (Vyādha) speaks as a moral teacher, advising the listener to abandon futile lamentation and cultivate steady understanding that transcends dualities.