Shloka 34

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

Devanagari script

एतेषां प्रेत्यभावे तु कतम: स्वर्गजित्तम: । एतदाचक्ष्व मे ब्रह्मन्‌ यथातत्त्वेन पृच्छत:

Transliteration

eteṣāṃ pretyabhāve tu katamaḥ svargajittamaḥ | etad ācakṣva me brahman yathātattvena pṛcchataḥ ||

Translation

ഹേ ബ്രാഹ്മണാ! ഇവയിൽ—ഭോഗം, ദാനം, യജ്ഞം, സ്വാധ്യായം, ത്യാഗം—മരണാനന്തരം ആരാണ് ഏറ്റവും പ്രബലമായി സ്വർഗ്ഗം ജയിക്കുന്നത്? സത്യം അറിയാൻ ഞാൻ ചോദിക്കുന്നു; യഥാതത്ത്വമായി എനിക്ക് പറയുക.

Word by Word

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• प्रेत्यभावे: in the state after death
• प्रेत्यभावे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत्यभाव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• कतमः: which one (among them)
• कतमः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: कतम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वर्गजित्-तमः: the best conqueror/winner of heaven
• स्वर्गजित्-तमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्गजित्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Superlative (तमप्)

• एतत्: this (matter)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आचक्ष्व: tell/declare
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चक्ष्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• यथा: as/according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• तत्त्वेन: with truth; in reality
• तत्त्वेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• पृच्छतः: of (me) asking/inquiring
• पृच्छतः: Sambandha
• Type: Verb (Participle)
• Root: पृच्छ्
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

कपिल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kapila
• Brahman (addressed interlocutor)
• Svarga (heaven)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical inquiry about the right use of wealth and effort: whether pleasure, charity, sacrifice, study, or renunciation yields the highest posthumous spiritual result. It sets up a hierarchy of values where intention and dharmic orientation determine the fruit after death.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instructional dialogue, Kapila addresses a Brahman teacher/interlocutor and asks for a precise judgment: among several life-paths connected with wealth and discipline, which most powerfully leads to victory in heaven after death.