Shloka 9

Devanagari script

प्रकृत्या नित्यसलिलो नित्यमध्ययने रत: । तपोदमाशभ्यां संयुक्तो वृत्तेनानवरेण च,स्वभाव तो उसका पानीके समान है। वह सदा स्वाध्यायमें लगा रहता है। तप, इन्द्रिय- संयम तथा उत्तम आचार-विचारसे संयुक्त है

Transliteration

prakṛtyā nityasalilo nityam adhyayane rataḥ | tapodamāśabhyāṁ saṁyukto vṛttenānavareṇa ca ||

Translation

ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ പറഞ്ഞു— അവൻ സ്വഭാവത്താൽ തന്നെ സദാ നിർമ്മലമായി ഒഴുകുന്ന ജലത്തെപ്പോലെ—ശുദ്ധനും ശാന്തിദായകനുമാണ്. അവൻ നിരന്തരം സ്വാധ്യായത്തിൽ ലീനനാണ്. തപസ്സ്, ഇന്ദ്രിയസംയമനം, ശാസ്ത്രീയ നിയന്ത്രണം, നിർമലമായ ആചാരം—ഇവയാൽ സമ്പന്നനാണ്.

Word by Word

प्रकृत्याby nature

नित्यसलिलःhaving water always (ever-moist)

नित्यम्always

अध्ययनेin study (of scripture)

रतःengaged, devoted

तपःausterity

दमself-control (sense-restraint)

आशाभ्याम्with (two) hopes/expectations

संयुक्तःendowed, joined (with)

वृत्तेनwith conduct/behavior

अनवरेणunsurpassed, excellent

चand

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

brāhmaṇa (speaker)

an exemplary person (unnamed)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse defines ethical excellence through inner purity and steady discipline: constant sacred study (svādhyāya), austerity (tapas), sense-control (dama), and faultless conduct (anavara vṛtta). Character is presented as natural purity expressed through consistent practice.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s didactic setting, a brāhmaṇa speaker describes the qualities of an exemplary person, praising his innate purity and his sustained commitment to learning, restraint, and impeccable behavior as markers of dharmic life.