Shloka 1

Śuka’s Guṇa-Transcendence and Vyāsa’s Consolation (शुकगति-वर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

अपन बछ। ] अफण का: विशत्यवथिकत्रेशततमोब् ध्याय: राजा जनककी परीक्षा करनेके लिये आयी हुई सुलभाका उनके शरीरमें प्रवेश करना

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: aparityajya gārhasthyaṁ kururājarṣi-sattama | kaḥ prāpto vinayaṁ buddhvā mokṣa-tattvaṁ vadasva me ||

Translation

യുധിഷ്ഠിരൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ കുരുവംശത്തിലെ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ രാജർഷിയേ! ഗാർഹസ്ഥ്യം ഉപേക്ഷിക്കാതെ, ബുദ്ധിയെ വിനീതവും സ്ഥിരവുമാക്കി, ഏത് പുരുഷൻ മോക്ഷത്തിന്റെ ആ നില കൈവരിച്ചു? എനിക്ക് മോക്ഷതത്ത്വം പറഞ്ഞുതരിക.

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular

• अपरित्यज्य: without abandoning / not having abandoned
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि-त्यज्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund)

• गार्हस्थ्यम्: householder life (gṛhastha-āśrama)
• गार्हस्थ्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गार्हस्थ्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कुरुराजर्षिसत्तम: O best of Kuru royal sages
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु-राजर्षि-सत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्राप्तः: has attained
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विनयम्: discipline / humility (vinaya)
• विनयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• बुद्ध्वा: having understood/known
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बुध्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• मोक्षतत्त्वम्: the principle/truth of liberation
• मोक्षतत्त्वम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष-तत्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वद: tell (speak)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद्
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular

• स्व: yourself (reflexive element)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: स्व
• Form: —, —, —, enclitic pronominal base used in compounds/with endings; here with -सि in 'वदस्व'

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

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kuru dynasty (Kuru)
• rājarṣi (royal sage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a key Śānti Parva inquiry: whether liberation (mokṣa) and the stilling of the mind can be realized while remaining a householder. It highlights that mokṣa is tied to inner discipline and understanding, not merely to an external change of social status.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a revered royal sage of the Kuru line and asks for an example and explanation: who has attained liberation without giving up household life, and what is the true principle of mokṣa that makes such attainment possible.