Shloka 26

परिव्राजक-आचारः (Conduct of the Wandering Renunciant) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 269

Devanagari script

यद्यागच्छन्ति संसारं पु$नर्योनिषु तादृशा: । न लिप्यन्ते पापकृत्यै:ः कदाचित्‌ कर्मयोनित:

Transliteration

yady āgacchanti saṃsāraṃ punar yoniṣu tādṛśāḥ | na lipyante pāpakṛtyaiḥ kadācit karmayonitaḥ ||

Translation

അത്തരം പുണ്യാത്മാക്കൾ ഒരിക്കൽ വീണ്ടും ലോകജീവിതത്തിലേക്ക് മടങ്ങി കർമ്മാധികാരം പ്രവർത്തിക്കുന്ന യോനികളിൽ ജനിച്ചാലും, ദേഹബന്ധം മാത്രത്താൽ അവർ ഒരിക്കലും പാപകർമ്മങ്ങളിൽ ലിപ്തരാകുന്നില്ല. അവരുടെ അന്തർശുദ്ധിയും ജ്ഞാനവും അവരെ അസംഗരാക്കുന്നു; കർമ്മക്ഷേത്രത്തിന്റെ ദോഷങ്ങൾ അവരെ സ്പർശിക്കുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• आगच्छन्ति: they come/arrive
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम्
• Form: Lat (present), 3rd, plural, Parasmaipada

• संसारम्: worldly existence, transmigration
• संसारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• योनिषु: in wombs/births/species
• योनिषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि
• Form: feminine, locative, plural

• तादृशाः: such (persons)
• तादृशाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

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

• लिप्यन्ते: they are tainted/defiled
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप्
• Form: Lat (present), 3rd, plural, Atmanepada, passive/medio-passive sense

• पापकृत्यैः: by sinful deeds
• पापकृत्यैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापकृत्य
• Form: neuter, instrumental, plural

• कदाचित्: ever, at any time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित्

• कर्मयोनितः: from (the fact of) being born in a karma-based womb/source
• कर्मयोनितः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मयोनि
• Form: feminine, ablative, singular

Speaker

कपिल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kapila

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Kapila teaches that the truly purified or realized person is not morally stained simply by taking birth again in the world of action; inner detachment and knowledge prevent sinful adhesion (lepa) even amid karmic conditions.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s philosophical instruction, Kapila is explaining how certain exalted persons may still appear in embodied life, yet remain untouched by wrongdoing; the verse clarifies the distinction between being in a karmic field and being bound by it.