Shloka 57

देवतापितृप्रश्नः — Nārada at Badarīāśrama: the ultimate referent of daiva and pitṛ worship

Devanagari script

अनेकपारिपन्धथिके विरूपरौद्रमक्षिके | स्वमेव कर्म रक्ष्यतां स्वकर्म तत्र गच्छति

Transliteration

anekapāripanthike virūpa-raudra-makṣike | svam eva karma rakṣyatāṃ sva-karma tatra gacchati ||

Translation

Na estrada para o outro mundo há muitos obstáculos: ladrões e salteadores ficam à espreita, e há mutucas e moscas hediondas e terríveis. Ali, nada acompanha a pessoa senão os próprios atos (karma); portanto, guarda e preserva apenas as tuas ações virtuosas.

Word by Word

• अनेक: many
• अनेक: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पारिपन्थिकाः: highwaymen, robbers
• पारिपन्थिकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पारिपन्थिक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विरूप: hideous, deformed
• विरूप: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरूप
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• रौद्र: terrible, fierce
• रौद्र: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• मक्षिकाः: flies
• मक्षिकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मक्षिका
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• स्वम्: one's own
• स्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• एव: only, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• कर्म: deed, action
• कर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• रक्ष्यताम्: should be protected/guarded
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष्
• Form: Lot, Atmanepada, Third, Singular, Passive/Impersonal injunction

• स्वकर्म: one's own deed
• स्वकर्म: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वकर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• गच्छति: goes
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Lat, Parasmaipada, Third, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• paraloka (the other world/afterlife)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Only one’s own karma accompanies one beyond this life; therefore one should safeguard and cultivate satkarma (righteous deeds), not rely on external supports.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa delivers a moral warning using the image of a perilous road to the afterlife—filled with threats and terrors—to stress that, amid such passage, one’s deeds alone remain as one’s true companion.