Shloka 19

Nārāyaṇasya Guhya-nāmāni Niruktāni (Etymologies of Nārāyaṇa’s Secret Epithets) / नारायणस्य गुह्यनामानि निरुक्तानि

Devanagari script

आकिज्चन्यं सुसंतोषो निराशीस्त्वमचापलम्‌ | एतदाहुः: परं श्रेय आत्मज्ञस्थ जितात्मन:

Transliteration

ākiñcanyaṁ susantoṣo nirāśīs tvam acāpalam | etad āhuḥ paraṁ śreya ātmā-jñasya jitātmanaḥ ||

Translation

ନାରଦ କହିଲେ—ଆକିଞ୍ଚନ୍ୟ (ଅପରିଗ୍ରହ), ସୁସନ୍ତୋଷ, ନିରାଶୀତ୍ୱ (କାମନାରହିତତା) ଓ ଅଚାପଳ (ଅଚଞ୍ଚଳ ସ୍ଥିରତା)—ଆତ୍ମତତ୍ତ୍ୱଜ୍ଞ ଏବଂ ଜିତାତ୍ମା ପୁରୁଷ ପାଇଁ ଏହିଏ ପରମ ଶ୍ରେୟ ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଇଛି।

Word by Word

• आकिञ्चन्यम्: non-possession; having nothing
• आकिञ्चन्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकिञ्चन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सुसन्तोषः: complete contentment
• सुसन्तोषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुसन्तोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निराशीः: free from desire/expectation
• निराशीः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निराशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• अचापलम्: steadiness; absence of fickleness
• अचापलम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचापल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आहुः: they say; they have declared
• आहुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha/लिट्), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• परम्: supreme; highest
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्रेयः: the highest good; welfare
• श्रेयः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आत्मज्ञस्य: of the knower of the Self
• आत्मज्ञस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• जितात्मनः: of the self-controlled (one who has conquered the mind)
• जितात्मनः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जितात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

For a person established in Self-knowledge and self-mastery, the highest welfare lies in four disciplines: not accumulating possessions (ākiñcanya), remaining content (susantoṣa), abandoning craving/expectation (nirāśīs), and maintaining steady composure without mental fickleness (acāpalam).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and liberation-oriented conduct, Nārada delivers a concise ethical-spiritual prescription, identifying inner renunciation and mental steadiness as the marks of the Self-knower and as the means to supreme good.