Shloka 12

Satya-lakṣaṇa (The Characteristics and Forms of Truth) | सत्यलक्षणम्

Devanagari script

एष चेष्टयते सम्यक्‌ प्राणिन: सम्यगायतः: । असम्यगायतो भूयश्चनेष्टते विकृतं नूषु

Transliteration

eṣa ceṣṭayate samyak prāṇinaḥ samyag-āyataḥ | asamyag-āyato bhūyaś ceṣṭate vikṛtaṃ nṛṣu ||

Translation

ନାରଦ କହିଲେ—ଏହି ପ୍ରାଣତତ୍ତ୍ୱ ଯେତେବେଳେ ଦେହରେ ସମ୍ୟକ୍ ଭାବେ ବିସ୍ତୃତ ହୋଇ ଠିକ୍ ଭାବରେ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ କରେ, ସେତେବେଳେ ସମସ୍ତ ପ୍ରାଣୀଙ୍କୁ ସୁସଂଯତ ଚେଷ୍ଟାରେ ସମର୍ଥ କରେ; କିନ୍ତୁ ଯେତେବେଳେ ଏହା ସମ୍ୟକ୍ ନୁହେଁ, ସେତେବେଳେ ମନୁଷ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ବିକୃତ ଚେଷ୍ଟା ଓ ଦେହବିକାର ପୁନଃ ଉତ୍ପନ୍ନ କରେ।

Word by Word

• एषः: this (one/thing)
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• इष्टयते: acts/operates; makes effort
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्टय् (इष्टयते)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Ātmanepada

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

• प्राणिनः: living beings
• प्राणिनः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सम्यक्: properly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक्

• आयतः: extended/spread; functioning in full measure
• आयतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आयत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• असम्यक्: improperly, incorrectly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असम्यक्

• आयतः: extended/spread; functioning
• आयतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आयत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भूयः: again; moreover; rather
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस्

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

• नेष्टते: does not act/operate
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्टय् (इष्टयते)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Ātmanepada, Negative (na + iṣṭyate)

• विकृतम्: distortion, disorder, abnormality
• विकृतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विकृत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• नु: indeed/now (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु

• उषु: quickly/at once (particle; Vedic/epic usage)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उषु

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• prāṇa (life-breath/vital force)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Rightly regulated prāṇa (vital force) sustains orderly action and well-being; when prāṇa becomes imbalanced or improperly directed, it produces disorder—both as bodily विकृति (abnormality) and as distorted activity—implying an ethical need for self-regulation and balance.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Nārada explains a principle of embodied life: the properly functioning life-breath animates all beings, while its improper functioning leads to dysfunction and disturbance in humans.