Shloka 20

कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः

Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेयजी बोले--राजन! मैं स्वयं प्रकट होनेवाले सनातन

Transliteration

anādinidhanaṁ bhūtaṁ viśvam avyayam akṣayam | eṣa kartā na kriyate kāraṇaṁ cāpi pauruṣe ||

Translation

ໄວສຳປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ພຣະອົງນັ້ນ ບໍ່ມີຕົ້ນ ບໍ່ມີປາຍ—ເປັນຈັກກະວານເອງ ບໍ່ເສື່ອມສະລາຍ ບໍ່ຜຸພັງ. ພຣະອົງພຽງຜູ້ດຽວເປັນຜູ້ກະທຳ; ບໍ່ມີຜູ້ສ້າງໃດຈະສ້າງພຣະອົງໄດ້. ແມ່ນແຕ່ໃນການບັນລຸເປົ້າໝາຍຂອງມະນຸດ (puruṣārtha) ພຣະອົງກໍເປັນເຫດປັດໃຈອັນຕັດສິນ».

Word by Word

• अनादिनिधनम्: beginningless and endless
• अनादिनिधनम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादिनिधन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• भूतम्: the being; the existent (Brahman/Paramatman)
• भूतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• विश्वम्: all-pervading; universal
• विश्वम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अव्ययम्: imperishable; undecaying
• अव्ययम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अक्षयम्: inexhaustible; un-diminishing
• अक्षयम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कर्ता: creator; doer
• कर्ता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• क्रियते: is made; is created
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Present, Passive (Karmani), Third, Singular

• कारणम्: cause
• कारणम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also; even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• पौरुषे: in/with regard to human effort; in the sphere of puruṣārtha
• पौरुषे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौरुष
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• the imperishable Supreme Being (implied as Nārāyaṇa/Janārdana in the surrounding passage)
• viśva (the universe)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts a supreme, uncaused reality: the ultimate Being is beginningless and endless, identical with the imperishable ground of the universe. He is the true agent behind all action and the ultimate cause even of human goals (dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa), emphasizing dependence of worldly and ethical striving upon the divine source.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Vana Parva setting, Vaiśampāyana continues a discourse that praises the supreme Lord as the cosmic origin and inner ruler. This verse crystallizes that praise by stating His eternity, His status as the ultimate doer, and His causal role in human endeavor.