Shloka 25

परिव्राजक-आचारः (Conduct of the Wandering Renunciant) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 269

Devanagari script

नक्षत्राणीव धिष्ण्येषु बहवस्तारकागणा: । आनन्त्यमुपसम्प्राप्ता: संतोषादिति वैदिकम्‌

Transliteration

nakṣatrāṇīva dhiṣṇyeṣu bahavas tārakāgaṇāḥ | ānantyam upasamprāptāḥ santoṣād iti vaidikam |

Translation

କପିଳ କହିଲେ—ଯେପରି ଆକାଶର ବିଭିନ୍ନ ଅଞ୍ଚଳରେ ନକ୍ଷତ୍ରମଣ୍ଡଳୀ ପରି ଅନେକ ତାରାଗୁଚ୍ଛ ଦିଶେ, ସେପରି ଅନେକ ଦ୍ୱିଜ ଅନନ୍ତ ପଦକୁ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ହୁଅନ୍ତି। ସନ୍ତୋଷ ଦ୍ୱାରା ହିଁ ସେମାନେ ସେଇ ଅନନ୍ତ ଲକ୍ଷ୍ୟକୁ ପାଆନ୍ତି—ଏହା ହେଉଛି ବୈଦିକ ସିଦ୍ଧାନ୍ତ।

Word by Word

• नक्षत्राणि: constellations/stars
• नक्षत्राणि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्षत्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• धिष्ण्येषु: in the abodes/places
• धिष्ण्येषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धिष्ण्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तारकागणाः: groups of stars
• तारकागणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारका-गण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• आनन्त्यम्: endlessness/infinity (state)
• आनन्त्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्त्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उपसम्प्राप्ताः: having attained/obtained
• उपसम्प्राप्ताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-सम्-प्र-आप्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Past passive participle (क्त)

• संतोषात्: from/through contentment
• संतोषात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संतोष
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• इति: thus (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• वैदिकम्: Vedic (doctrine/statement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैदिक
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

कपिल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kapila
• nakṣatra (constellations)
• tārakāgaṇa (clusters of stars)
• ānantya (the infinite state)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Contentment (santoṣa) is presented as a decisive means for attaining the ‘infinite’ or ultimate state; Kapila frames this as a Vedic siddhānta, using the image of countless stars to suggest many beings reaching that goal.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kapila is instructing his listener in a didactic passage of the Śānti Parva, offering a metaphor: as stars are seen spread across the sky, so many attain the highest end; he attributes their attainment to contentment and cites it as Vedic doctrine.