Shloka 11

Skanda–Mātṛgaṇa-janma: Kumārakāḥ, Kanyāgaṇāḥ, and the Vīrāṣṭaka (स्कन्द-मातृगण-सम्भवः)

Devanagari script

दुष्करं हि कृतं कर्म जानता जातिमात्मन: । लोक वृत्तान्ततत्त्वज्ञ नित्यं धर्मपरायण:,जिसके फलस्वरूप आपको अपने पूर्वजन्मकी बातोंका ज्ञान बना हुआ है, वह पिता- माताकी सेवारूप कर्म दूसरोंके लिये दुष्कर है; किंतु आपने उसे सम्पन्न कर लिया है। आप लोकवृत्तान्तका तत्त्व जानते हैं और सदा धर्ममें तत्पर रहते हैं

Transliteration

duṣkaraṃ hi kṛtaṃ karma jānātā jātim ātmanaḥ | loka-vṛttānta-tattva-jña nityaṃ dharma-parāyaṇaḥ ||

Translation

Sesungguhnya engkau telah menyempurnakan suatu perbuatan yang sukar dilakukan oleh orang lain. Kerana engkau masih menyimpan pengetahuan tentang peristiwa kelahiranmu yang terdahulu, engkau mampu menunaikan kewajipan yang berat—berkhidmat dan berbakti kepada ayah dan ibu. Engkau memahami hakikat di sebalik adat dan perjalanan dunia, dan engkau sentiasa teguh berpegang pada dharma.

Word by Word

{'duṣkaram''hard to do, difficult', 'hi': 'indeed, surely', 'kṛtam': 'done, accomplished', 'karma': 'act, deed

duty in practice', 'jānātā''knowing

one who knows', 'jātim''birth

one’s birth/state of being (hereformer birth)', 'ātmanaḥ': 'of oneself', 'loka': 'world

people', 'vṛttānta''course of events

account of what happens', 'tattva-jña''knower of truth/principle

one who understands the essence', 'nityam''always, continually', 'dharma-parāyaṇaḥ': 'one devoted to dharma

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse praises steadfast dharma expressed as difficult, concrete duty—especially service to one’s parents—and links ethical excellence with clear understanding of worldly realities and the moral law (dharma).

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa speaker commends the addressed person for successfully completing a demanding duty (identified in the accompanying sense as service to father and mother), noting that the person’s awareness of a former birth and insight into worldly conduct support their unwavering commitment to dharma.