Shloka 24

देवतापितृप्रश्नः — Nārada at Badarīāśrama: the ultimate referent of daiva and pitṛ worship

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण्यं बहुभिरवाप्यते तपोभि- स्तल्लब्ध्वा न रतिपरेण हेलितव्यम्‌ । स्वाध्याये तपसि दमे च नित्ययुक्तः क्षेमार्थी कुशलपर: सदा यतस्व

Transliteration

brāhmaṇyaṃ bahubhir avāpyate tapobhis tallabdhvā na ratipareṇa helitavyam | svādhyāye tapasi dame ca nityayuktaḥ kṣemārthī kuśalaparaḥ sadā yatasva ||

Translation

വ്യാസൻ പറഞ്ഞു— ബ്രാഹ്മണത്വം അനേകം തപസ്സുകളാൽ മാത്രമേ ലഭിക്കൂ. അത് ലഭിച്ച ശേഷം ഇന്ദ്രിയസുഖത്തിന്റെ അടിമയായി അതിനെ പാഴാക്കരുത്. അതിനാൽ നിന്റെ യഥാർത്ഥ ക്ഷേമം ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ, എപ്പോഴും ഹിതകരമായതിൽ പരിശ്രമിക്ക—സ്വാധ്യായം, തപസ്സ്, ഇന്ദ്രിയസംയമനം എന്നിവയിൽ നിരന്തരം നിഷ്ഠയോടെ നിലകൊൾ.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मण्यं: brahminhood / brahmin status
• ब्राह्मण्यं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• बहुभिः: by many
• बहुभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अवाप्यते: is obtained
• अवाप्यते: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Passive

• तपोभिः: by austerities
• तपोभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• तत्: that (state)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• लब्ध्वा: having obtained
• लब्ध्वा: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), Active

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

• रतिपरेण: by one devoted to sensual pleasure
• रतिपरेण: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रतिपर
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• हेलितव्यम्: should not be slighted / should not be squandered
• Type: Verb
• Root: हेल्
• Form: तव्यत् (gerundive), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, Passive-necessitative

• स्वाध्याये: in self-study
• स्वाध्याये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाध्याय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तपसि: in austerity
• तपसि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• दमे: in self-control
• दमे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• नित्ययुक्तः: always engaged
• नित्ययुक्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्ययुक्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षेमार्थी: seeking welfare
• क्षेमार्थी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षेमार्थिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कुशलपरः: devoted to what is beneficial/skillful
• कुशलपरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुशलपर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• यतस्व: strive / make effort
• Type: Verb
• Root: यत्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Middle (Atmanepada)

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Brahminhood (understood as a hard-won spiritual-ethical attainment) should not be squandered through attachment to sensual pleasure; one should pursue true welfare by steady commitment to svādhyāya (sacred study), tapas (austerity), and dama (sense-restraint).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic setting of the Śānti Parva, Vyāsa delivers a moral exhortation: he warns against negligence born of pleasure-seeking and urges disciplined practice—study, austerity, and restraint—as the path to lasting well-being.