Shloka 31

कर्मनाशाभावः, गर्भे जीवप्रवेशः, आचारधर्मोपदेशः

Karma’s Non-Extinction, Jīva’s Entry into the Embryo, and Instruction on Conduct-Dharma

Devanagari script

सुखदु:खे यथा सम्यगनित्ये य: प्रपश्यति । कायं चामेध्यसंघातं विनाशं कर्मसंहितम्‌

Transliteration

sukhaduḥkhe yathā samyag anitye yaḥ prapaśyati | kāyaṃ cāmedhyasaṅghātaṃ vināśaṃ karmasaṃhitam ||

Translation

ଯେ ମନୁଷ୍ୟ ସୁଖ ଓ ଦୁଃଖ—ଦୁହିଁକୁ ଯଥାର୍ଥରେ ଅନିତ୍ୟ ଭାବେ ଦେଖେ, ଶରୀରକୁ ଅପବିତ୍ର ଉପାଦାନର ସଂଘାତ ଭାବେ ଜାଣେ, ଏବଂ ମୃତ୍ୟୁକୁ କର୍ମଫଳସଂଯୁକ୍ତ ବିନାଶ ଭାବେ ବୁଝେ—ସେ ସଂସାରମୋହକୁ ଶିଥିଳ କରି ଘୋର ଓ ଦୁସ୍ତର ସଂସାର-ସାଗରକୁ ପାର କରିବାରେ ସମର୍ଥ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• सुखदुःखे: in pleasure and pain
• सुखदुःखे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख-दुःख
• Form: neuter, locative, dual

• यथा: as/according as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

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

• अनित्ये: as impermanent (in the two: pleasure and pain)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनित्य
• Form: neuter, locative, dual

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• प्रपश्यति: sees clearly, perceives
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√पश्
• Form: present, 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

• कायम्: the body
• कायम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

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

• अमेध्यसङ्घातम्: a heap/mass of impurity
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमेध्य-सङ्घात
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• विनाशम्: destruction, perishing
• विनाशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनाश
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• कर्मसंहितम्: connected with/conditioned by karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्म-संहित
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• ब्राह्मण (a brāhmaṇa speaker)
• काय (the body)
• कर्म (karma)
• विनाश/मृत्यु (death)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Right discernment (samyag-darśana) is emphasized: seeing pleasure and pain as impermanent, recognizing the body’s impure and composite nature, and understanding death as conditioned by karma. This insight weakens attachment and supports liberation from saṃsāra.

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa is instructing the listener in a reflective, renunciatory teaching within the Ashvamedhika Parva, presenting a contemplative view of embodied life—its transience, impurity, and karmic causality—as a means to transcend worldly bondage.