Shloka 27

Adhyāya 214: Tapas Redefined—Perpetual Discipline, Hospitality, and the Ethics of Eating (तपः-निरूपणम्, विघसाशी-अतिथिप्रिय-धर्मः)

Devanagari script

तस्मात्‌ तदभिघाताय कर्म कुर्यादकल्मषम्‌ | रजस्तमश्न हित्वेह यथेष्टां गतिमाप्रुयात्‌

Transliteration

tasmāt tad-abhighātāya karma kuryād akalmaṣam | rajas-tamaś ca hitveha yatheṣṭāṁ gatim āpnuyāt ||

Translation

ଏହିପରି, ସେଇ (ଅନିୟନ୍ତ୍ରିତ ମନ)କୁ ଦମନ କରିବା ପାଇଁ ମନୁଷ୍ୟ ନିର୍ଦୋଷ, ନିଷ୍କାମ କର୍ମ କରିବା ଉଚିତ। ଏଭଳି କଲେ ସେ ଏହି ଲୋକରେ ରଜସ୍ ଓ ତମସ୍ ତ୍ୟାଗ କରି, ନିଜ ଇଚ୍ଛିତ ଗତି ପାଏ।

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that (reason)
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• तत्: that (state/goal)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अभिघाताय: for attainment/striking (i.e., reaching it)
• अभिघाताय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिघात
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• कर्म: action; deed
• कर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अकल्मषम्: stainless; free from sin
• अकल्मषम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकल्मष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• रजः: rajas (passion)
• रजः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तमः: tamas (darkness/ignorance)
• तमः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• हित्वा: having abandoned
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

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

• यथा: as; according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• इष्टाम्: desired
• इष्टाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्ट
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• गतिम्: course; state; destination
• गतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• आप्नुयात्: may obtain; should attain
• आप्नुयात्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

To master the mind, one should engage in blameless, desireless action (akalmaṣa karma). Such disciplined action weakens passion (rajas) and inertia/delusion (tamas), enabling the seeker to attain the intended spiritual course or goal (gati).

What is happening in the narrative?

In Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and inner discipline. Here he explains a practical method for subduing the mind: perform pure, untainted action so that the lower guṇas are relinquished and higher progress becomes possible.