Shloka 17

जापक–इक्ष्वाकु–सत्यविवादः

The Jāpaka, Ikṣvāku, and the Dispute on Truth and Merit

Devanagari script

त्रिवर्गगुणनिर्व त्तिर्यस्य नित्यं गृहाश्रमे । स सुखान्यनुभूयेह शिष्टानां गतिमाप्नुयात्‌

Transliteration

trivarga-guṇa-nirvṛttir yasya nityaṁ gṛhāśrame | sa sukhāny anubhūyeha śiṣṭānāṁ gatim āpnuyāt ||

Translation

ଭରଦ୍ୱାଜ କହିଲେ—ଯାହାର ଗୃହସ୍ଥାଶ୍ରମରେ ସଦା ଧର୍ମ, ଅର୍ଥ ଓ କାମ—ଏଇ ତ୍ରିବର୍ଗର ଗୁଣସିଦ୍ଧି ନିରନ୍ତର ହୁଏ, ସେ ଏହି ଲୋକରେ ସୁଖ ଅନୁଭବ କରି ଶେଷରେ ଶିଷ୍ଟ ଓ ଧର୍ମନିଷ୍ଠମାନଙ୍କ ଗତିକୁ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• त्रिवर्गगुणनिर्वृत्तिः: the accomplishment/fulfilment of the qualities of the three aims (dharma-artha-kama)
• त्रिवर्गगुणनिर्वृत्तिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिवर्गगुणनिर्वृत्ति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• यस्य: of whom/whose
• यस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य

• गृहाश्रमे: in the householder stage (grihastha-ashrama)
• गृहाश्रमे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहाश्रम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुखानि: pleasures/happinesses
• सुखानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• अनुभूय: having experienced
• अनुभूय: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु√भू
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• शिष्टानाम्: of the cultured/virtuous (elders, good people)
• शिष्टानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: शिष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• गतिम्: state/goal/destination
• गतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• आप्नुयात्: would attain/should attain
• आप्नुयात्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप्
• Form: Vidhi-ling (optative), Present-system, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भरद्वाज उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bharadvāja
• gṛhāśrama (householder stage)
• trivarga (dharma, artha, kāma)
• śiṣṭa (the cultured/righteous)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the householder life is spiritually and socially fruitful when it harmonizes the three human aims—dharma, artha, and kāma—under ethical discipline; such balance yields worldly happiness and culminates in the respected destiny of the righteous (śiṣṭa).

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instructional discourse, Bharadvāja states a normative principle about gṛhastha-dharma: a person who consistently fulfills the three aims properly while living as a householder enjoys well-being here and attains an esteemed end aligned with the conduct of the virtuous.