Shloka 3

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

Devanagari script

कृतशुद्धशरीरो हि पात्र भवति ब्राह्मण: । आनन्त्यमत्र बुद्धयेदं कर्मणां तद्‌ ब्रवीमि ते

Transliteration

kṛtaśuddhaśarīro hi pātra bhavati brāhmaṇaḥ | ānantyam atra buddhyedaṃ karmaṇāṃ tad bravīmi te

Translation

Kapila disse: “De fato, um brāhmaṇa cujo corpo foi purificado por uma conduta disciplinada torna-se um receptáculo digno (apto a receber). Nisso deve-se compreender o alcance ilimitado das ações e de suas consequências; por isso te declaro este ensinamento.”

Word by Word

कृतशुद्धशरीरःhaving a purified body

हिindeed/for

पात्रःa fit recipient/vessel

भवतिbecomes/is

ब्राह्मणःa Brahmin

आनन्त्यम्endlessness/infinity

अत्रhere/in this matter

बुद्ध्याby/with understanding

इदंthis

कर्मणाम्of actions/rites

तत्that

ब्रवीमिI say/tell

तेto you

Speaker

कपिल उवाच

Characters & Entities

Kapila

brāhmaṇa

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Purity achieved through disciplined conduct makes one a fit recipient of higher knowledge and gifts; one should also grasp that actions have limitless, far-reaching consequences (karma), so ethical self-purification is essential.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kapila is instructing his listener within the Śānti Parva’s didactic discourse, emphasizing qualifications for spiritual receptivity (being a ‘pātra’) and introducing the theme of the boundless scope of karma.