Shloka 10

आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः

Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca

Devanagari script

एतद्‌ वै सर्वकृत्यानां परं कृत्यं परंतप । नैतस्य कश्रिद्‌ वक्तास्ति श्रोता वापि सुदुर्लभ:

Transliteration

etad vai sarvakṛtyānāṃ paraṃ kṛtyaṃ parantapa | naitasya kaścid vaktāsti śrotā vāpi sudurlabhaḥ ||

Translation

ଯୁଧିଷ୍ଠିର କହିଲେ— ହେ ପରନ୍ତପ! ସମସ୍ତ କର୍ତ୍ତବ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଏହାହିଁ ପରମ କର୍ତ୍ତବ୍ୟ। ଏହି ଶିକ୍ଷାର ବକ୍ତା କେହି ମିଳେ ନାହିଁ; ଏହାକୁ ଶୁଣିବା ଯୋଗ୍ୟ ଶ୍ରୋତା ମଧ୍ୟ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଦୁର୍ଲଭ। ତେଣୁ ପିତାମହ! ଆପଣ ଏହାକୁ ଭଲଭାବେ ଅନୁସନ୍ଧାନ କରି ସମଗ୍ର ବିଷୟଟି ମୋତେ କହନ୍ତୁ।

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (निपात)

• सर्वकृत्यानाम्: of all duties/acts-to-be-done
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वकृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• परम्: supreme, highest
• परम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• कृत्यम्: duty, what should be done
• कृत्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• परंतप: O scorcher of foes (epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परंतप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)

• एतस्य: of this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• कश्चित्: anyone, someone
• कश्चित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: कश्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वक्ता: speaker, expounder
• वक्ता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अस्ति: is/exists
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular

• श्रोता: listener
• श्रोता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रोतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (निपात)

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (निपात)

• सुदुर्लभः: very hard to find/rare
• सुदुर्लभः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse elevates a particular inquiry into dharma as the ‘highest duty’ and stresses that true instruction and genuine receptivity are both rare; therefore one should seek an authoritative, disciplined elder-teacher and request a careful, complete exposition.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira continues his questioning of Bhīṣma (the grandsire) about the highest principles of conduct. He emphasizes the exceptional difficulty of finding a qualified teacher and listener for this subject and urges Bhīṣma to examine it thoroughly and teach him.