Shloka 38

अश्वशिरो-आख्यानम्

Aśvaśiras / Hayaśiras Narrative: Retrieval of the Vedas

Devanagari script

दैवं पित्रयं च सततं तस्य विज्ञाय तत्त्वत: । आत्मप्राप्तानि च ततः प्राप्तुवन्ति द्विजोत्तमा:

Transliteration

daivaṃ pitryaṃ ca satataṃ tasya vijñāya tattvataḥ | ātmaprāptāni ca tataḥ prāpnuvanti dvijottamāḥ ||

Translation

ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ଦ୍ୱିଜମାନେ, ସେହି ଉଦ୍ଦେଶ୍ୟରେ କରଣୀୟ ଦେବକାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ଓ ପିତୃକାର୍ଯ୍ୟକୁ ତତ୍ତ୍ୱତଃ ଯଥାର୍ଥ ଭାବେ ଜାଣି, ତାହାର ଫଳରୂପେ ଆତ୍ମାକୁ ଯଥାଯୋଗ୍ୟ ଭାବେ ମିଳୁଥିବା ଇଚ୍ଛିତ ଫଳ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ କରନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• दैवम्: divine rite/duty (pertaining to the gods)
• दैवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पित्र्यम्: ancestral rite/duty (pertaining to the Pitṛs)
• पित्र्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पित्र्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• सततम्: always/constantly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत

• तस्य: of that / its
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• विज्ञाय: having known/understood
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• तत्त्वतः: in truth; correctly; as it really is
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्वतस्

• आत्मप्राप्तानि: desired/aimed-at (lit. self-attained/one's own sought) things
• आत्मप्राप्तानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मप्राप्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

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

• ततः: thereupon; from that (knowledge/practice)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• प्राप्नुवन्ति: they obtain/attain
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Parasmaipada, Third, Plural

• द्विजोत्तमाः: best of the twice-born (excellent Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजोत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• dvijottamāḥ (best among the twice-born)
• devas (gods)
• pitṛs (ancestors)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True understanding of both divine (deva-related) and ancestral (pitṛ-related) duties, performed with correct intent and knowledge, leads to the rightful attainment of one’s desired aims; ritual is framed as effective when grounded in tattva (accurate understanding).

What is happening in the narrative?

In Narada’s instruction within the Śānti Parva’s dharma discourse, he emphasizes the proper comprehension and regular performance of deva- and pitṛ-obligations by the dvijas, presenting these as means by which they secure their intended results.