Shloka 30

Brahma-vidyā: Satya–Tapas and the Enumeration of Tattvas

Arjuna–Vāsudeva framed dialogue

Devanagari script

कौ चोभौ कर्मणां मार्गो प्राप्तुयुर्दक्षिणोत्तरी । प्रलयं चापवर्ग च भूतानां प्रभवाप्ययौं

Transliteration

kau cobhau karmaṇāṁ mārgo prāptuyur dakṣiṇottarī | pralayaṁ cāpavargaṁ ca bhūtānāṁ prabhavāpyayau ||

Translation

କର୍ମର ସେହି ଦୁଇ ମାର୍ଗ କେଉଁଗୁଡ଼ିକ, ଯାହାଦ୍ୱାରା ଦକ୍ଷିଣାୟନ ଓ ଉତ୍ତରାୟନ ଗତି ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ହୁଏ? ପ୍ରଳୟ ଓ ଅପବର୍ଗ (ମୋକ୍ଷ) କ’ଣ? ଏବଂ ପ୍ରାଣୀମାନଙ୍କର ଉଦ୍ଭବ ଓ ଅପ୍ୟୟ—ଜନ୍ମ ଓ ମୃତ୍ୟୁ—କ’ଣ?

Word by Word

• कौ: which two?
• कौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

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

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: उभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• कर्मणाम्: of actions
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• मार्गः: path/way
• मार्गः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्राप्तुयुः: would attain
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• दक्षिणोत्तरी: the southern and northern (courses)
• दक्षिणोत्तरी: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण + उत्तरी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Dual

• प्रलयम्: dissolution
• प्रलयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• अपवर्गम्: liberation
• अपवर्गम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपवर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• भूतानाम्: of beings
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• प्रभव: origin
• प्रभव: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + भू
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अप्ययौ: dissolution/cessation
• अप्ययौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप + इ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a doctrinal inquiry: how actions (karma) relate to two post-mortem trajectories symbolized as the southern and northern courses, and how these fit within the larger metaphysical scheme of dissolution (pralaya), liberation (apavarga/mokṣa), and the cycle of arising and passing away (birth and death).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva, as the speaker, poses a set of foundational questions to prompt a systematic explanation: the two karmic paths leading to distinct destinies, the nature of cosmic/individual dissolution, the meaning of liberation, and the principles underlying the birth and death of beings.