Shloka 4

Dāna–Tapaḥ Praśaṃsā and Gṛhastha-Upadeśa

Maitreya

Devanagari script

पाहि सर्वा: प्रजा: सम्पक्‌ शुभाशुभविदात्मवान्‌ | शुभे: संविभजन्‌ कामैरशुभानां च पावनै:

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | pāhi sarvāḥ prajāḥ samyak śubhāśubha-vid ātmavān | śubhaiḥ saṃvibhajan kāmān aśubhānāṃ ca pāvanaiḥ ||

Translation

सर्व प्रजेचे सम्यक पालन कर. शुभ-अशुभाचा विवेक जाणून आत्मसंयमी हो. शुभ मार्गाने योग्य भोग-साधनांचे वितरण कर आणि पावन उपायांनी अशुभाचे परिमार्जन कर.

Word by Word

• पाहि: protect (you should protect)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (पालने)
• Form: लोट्, मध्यम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• प्रजाः: subjects, people
• प्रजाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• सम्यक्: properly, well
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक्

• शुभाशुभविद्: knower of good and bad
• शुभाशुभविद्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ-अशुभ-विद्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• आत्मवान्: self-controlled, possessing self
• आत्मवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मवत्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शुभैः: with good (things/means)
• शुभैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• संविभजन्: distributing, apportioning
• संविभजन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + विभज्
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कामैः: with desired enjoyments/benefits
• कामैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• अशुभानाम्: of the inauspicious (faults/evils)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशुभ
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

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

• पावनैः: with purifying (means/acts)
• पावनैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावन
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• prajāḥ (subjects/people)
• kṣatriya (warrior order)
• brāhmaṇa (brahmin order)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler must govern with discernment of good and evil, self-mastery, fair distribution of legitimate enjoyments, and active purification of social harms; steadfast performance of one’s duty leads to inner refinement and higher spiritual attainment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa is instructing a Kṣatriya ruler on rājadharma: protect and nurture the people properly, restrain mind and senses, promote auspicious welfare, remove inauspicious faults through purifying measures, and through sustained dharmic conduct become fit for the higher, Brāhmaṇa-like spiritual state.