Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 5

भिक्षुलक्षणम्—एकचर्याः, अहिंसा, कैवल्याश्रमः

Marks of the Mendicant: Solitary Wandering, Non-Injury, and the Kaivalya-Discipline

ये चैनं॑ पक्षमाश्रित्य निवर्तन्त्यल्पमेधस: । स्वभावं कारणं ज्ञात्वा न श्रेय: प्राप्तुवन्ति ते,जो मन्दबुद्धि मानव इस नास्तिक मतका अवलम्बन करके स्वभावहीको कारण जानकर परमेश्वरकी उपासनासे निवृत्त हो जाते हैं, वे कल्याणके भागी नहीं होते

ye cainaṁ pakṣam āśritya nivartanty alpamedhasaḥ | svabhāvaṁ kāraṇaṁ jñātvā na śreyaḥ prāptuvanti te ||

വ്യാസൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അൽപബുദ്ധിയുള്ളവർ ഈ പക്ഷം ആശ്രയിച്ച് ‘സ്വഭാവം തന്നെയാണ് കാരണം’ എന്നു കരുതി പരമേശ്വരോപാസനയിൽ നിന്ന് പിന്മാറുന്നു; അവർ യഥാർത്ഥ ശ്രേയസ്സിനെ പ്രാപിക്കുകയില്ല.

येwho (those who)
ये:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootयद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
एनम्this (him/it)
एनम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootएतद्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
पक्षम्side; view; doctrine
पक्षम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootपक्ष
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
आश्रित्यhaving resorted to; relying on
आश्रित्य:
TypeVerb
Rootआ-श्रि (श्रि)
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)
निवर्तन्तिthey turn back; desist
निवर्तन्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootनि-वृत्
FormPresent (Lat), Third, Plural, Atmanepada
अल्पमेधसःof little understanding; dull-witted
अल्पमेधसः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअल्पमेधस्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
स्वभावम्nature; inherent disposition
स्वभावम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootस्वभाव
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
कारणम्cause
कारणम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकारण
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
ज्ञात्वाhaving known; considering as known
ज्ञात्वा:
TypeVerb
Rootज्ञा
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
श्रेयःthe good; welfare; highest good
श्रेयः:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootश्रेयस्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
प्राप्तुवन्तिthey obtain; attain
प्राप्तुवन्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-आप्
FormPresent (Lat), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
तेthey (those)
ते:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural

व्यास उवाच

V
Vyāsa

Educational Q&A

Merely attributing everything to svabhāva (nature) and abandoning reverent striving for the highest good is portrayed as an error of limited understanding; such a stance blocks śreyas—lasting welfare and spiritual good.

In the didactic discourse of Śānti Parva, Vyāsa warns against a particular doctrinal ‘side’ (pakṣa): a naturalistic/atheistic view that treats nature alone as the cause and leads people to withdraw from worship and higher pursuit; he states that such people fail to attain true well-being.