Shloka 18

Śuka–Janaka Saṃvāda: Āśrama-krama, Jñāna-vijñāna, and the Marks of Liberation (शुक-जनक संवादः)

Devanagari script

अकार्पण्यमसंरम्भ: क्षमा धृतिरहिंसता । समता सत्यमानृण्यं मार्दवं हवीरचापलम्‌

Transliteration

Yājñavalkya uvāca: akāṛpaṇyam asaṃrambhaḥ kṣamā dhṛtir ahiṃsatā | samatā satyam ānṛṇyaṃ mārdavaṃ hrīr acāpalam ||

Translation

യാജ്ഞവൽക്യൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അകാര്പണ്യം, അസംരംഭം, ക്ഷമ, ധൃതി, അഹിംസ; സമത, സത്യം, അനൃണ്യം (കടമില്ലായ്മ), മൃദുത്വം, ലജ്ജ, അചഞ്ചലത—ഇവ സത്ത്വജന്യ ഗുണങ്ങളായി പ്രസ്താവിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अकार्पण्यम्: non-miserliness; absence of meanness
• अकार्पण्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकार्पण्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• असंरम्भः: absence of anger/impetuosity
• असंरम्भः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: असंरम्भ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षमा: forbearance; forgiveness
• क्षमा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षमा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• धृतिः: steadfastness; firmness
• धृतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अहिंसता: non-violence
• अहिंसता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहिंसता
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• समता: equanimity; even-mindedness
• समता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: समता
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यम्: truthfulness
• सत्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• आनृण्यम्: freedom from debt/obligation
• आनृण्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनृण्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• मार्दवम्: gentleness; softness
• मार्दवम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्दव
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• ह्रीः: modesty; shame (sense of propriety)
• ह्रीः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ह्री
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अचापलम्: steadiness; absence of fickleness
• अचापलम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचापल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

याज़्वल्क्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yājñavalkya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse lists sattva-born virtues: inner generosity and courage (akāṛpaṇya), freedom from anger (asaṃrambha), patience (kṣamā), steadfastness (dhṛti), non-violence (ahiṃsā), equanimity (samatā), truthfulness (satyam), freedom from burdensome obligations (ānṛṇya), gentleness (mārdava), modest restraint (hrī), and steady, non-restless conduct (acāpalam). Together they describe a calm, ethical character fit for dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and inner discipline, Yājñavalkya speaks as a teacher enumerating the marks of a sattvic disposition—qualities that stabilize conduct and purify intention, contrasting with agitation and harm.