Shloka 9

पाण्डोः श्राद्धं, सत्यवत्याः वनगमनम्, बाल्यस्पर्धा च

Pāṇḍu’s Śrāddha, Satyavatī’s Withdrawal, and Childhood Rivalry

Devanagari script

वृक्षमूलनिकेतो वा त्यक्तसर्वप्रियाप्रिय: । न शोचन्‌ न प्रद्नष्यंश्व तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुति:,अथवा वृक्षोंका तल ही मेरा निवासगृह होगा। मैं प्रिय एवं अप्रिय सब प्रकारकी वस्तुओंको त्याग दूँगा। न मुझे किसीके वियोगका शोक होगा और न किसीकी प्राप्ति या संयोगसे हर्ष ही होगा। निनदा और स्तुति दोनों मेरे लिये समान होंगी

Transliteration

vṛkṣamūlaniketo vā tyaktasarvapriyāpriyaḥ | na śocan na prahṛṣyaṃś ca tulyanindātmasaṃstutiḥ ||

Translation

ਵੈਸ਼ੰਪਾਯਨ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ— ਜਾਂ ਫਿਰ ਰੁੱਖ ਦੀ ਜੜ੍ਹ ਹੀ ਮੇਰਾ ਨਿਵਾਸ ਹੋਵੇ। ਮੈਂ ਪ੍ਰਿਯ ਅਤੇ ਅਪ੍ਰਿਯ ਸਭ ਕੁਝ ਤਿਆਗ ਦਿਆਂਗਾ। ਨ ਵਿਛੋੜੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੋਗ ਕਰਾਂਗਾ, ਨ ਲਾਭ ਜਾਂ ਮੁੜ ਮਿਲਾਪ ਉੱਤੇ ਖੁਸ਼ ਹੋਵਾਂਗਾ। ਨਿੰਦਾ ਤੇ ਸਿਫ਼ਤ—ਦੋਵੇਂ ਮੇਰੇ ਲਈ ਇਕੋ ਜਿਹੀਆਂ ਹੋਣਗੀਆਂ।

Word by Word

• {'vṛkṣa': 'tree', 'mūla': 'root

• foot (of a tree)', 'niketaḥ / niketa': 'dwelling

• abode', 'vṛkṣamūlaniketaḥ': 'one whose abode is at the root of a tree

• living under a tree', 'vā': 'or

• alternatively', 'tyakta': 'abandoned

• renounced', 'sarva': 'all

• every', 'priya': 'dear

• desired', 'apriya': 'not dear

• undesired', 'priyāpriya': 'the pleasant and the unpleasant

• likes and dislikes', 'tyaktasarvapriyāpriyaḥ': 'having renounced all likes and dislikes', 'na': 'not', 'śocan': 'grieving

• lamenting', 'prahṛṣyan': 'rejoicing

• exulting', 'ca': 'and', 'tulya': 'equal

• the same', 'nindā': 'blame

• censure', 'ātmasaṃstutiḥ': 'self-praise

• praise (directed to oneself)', 'tulyanindātmasaṃstutiḥ': 'to whom blame and praise are equal'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• tree
• tree-root (as dwelling)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches vairāgya and inner steadiness: a disciplined person reduces dependence on comforts, abandons attachment and aversion, and remains even-minded amid loss and gain, and amid blame and praise.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, an ideal of ascetic resolve is being voiced: the speaker describes a life of minimal shelter (under a tree) and a mind trained to be unaffected by emotional swings caused by separation, acquisition, censure, or commendation.