Shloka 3

Adhyātma-krama: Indriya–Manas–Buddhi–Ātman Hierarchy and Citta-Prasāda (आध्यात्मक्रमः)

Devanagari script

तत्र वेदविधि: स स्याज्ज्ञानं चेत्‌ पुरुष प्रति । उपपच्त्युपलब्धिभ्यां वर्णयिष्यामि तच्छुणु

Transliteration

tatra vedavidhiḥ sa syāj jñānaṃ cet puruṣa prati | upapatt yupalabdhībhyāṃ varṇayiṣyāmi tac chṛṇu ||

Translation

ਵਿਆਸ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਇਸ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਕਿਹਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਜੇ ਉਹ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਲਈ ਗਿਆਨ-ਆਧਾਰਿਤ ਹੋਵੇ ਤਾਂ ਉਹ ਵੇਦ-ਵਿਧੀ (ਵੇਦ-ਵਿਹਿਤ ਕਰਤੱਬ) ਬਣ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ; ਨਹੀਂ ਤਾਂ ਉਹ ਕੇਵਲ ਸੁਭਾਵਿਕ ਹੈ। ਤਰਕ ਅਤੇ ਫਲ-ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤੀ ਦੇ ਹਵਾਲੇ ਨਾਲ ਮੈਂ ਇਹ ਸਮਝਾਵਾਂਗਾ—ਸੁਣ।

Word by Word

• {'tatra': 'there

• with regard to that topic', 'veda-vidhiḥ': 'Vedic rule

• scriptural injunction', 'saḥ syāt': 'it would be

• it becomes', 'jñānam': 'knowledge

• true understanding', 'cet': 'if', 'puruṣa prati': 'toward/for a person

• with respect to an individual', 'upapatti': 'reasoned justification

• logical demonstration', 'upalabdhi': 'direct apprehension

• attainment', 'ubhayābhyām': 'by both (means)', 'varṇayiṣyāmi': 'I will describe

• I will explain', 'tat': 'that (teaching/topic)', 'śṛṇu': 'listen'}

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vyāsa distinguishes between conduct that is a binding Vedic injunction for a person (when it is supported by true knowledge) and conduct that is merely natural or spontaneous. He promises to clarify the issue using both rational argument (upapatti) and experiential/result-based confirmation (upalabdhi).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, Vyāsa addresses a doubt about what should be regarded as obligatory (scripturally enjoined) versus what is simply natural disposition. He introduces his method: explanation through reasoning and through the outcomes/attainments that follow.