Shloka 39
धर्मद्वारबहुत्वविमर्शः — Reflection on the Many ‘Doors’ of Dharma (Śānti-parva 342)
निवृत्तिलक्षणो धर्मस्तथा5< भ्युदयिको5पि च । नराणामयनं ख्यातमहमेक: सनातन:,भारत! मैं अध्यात्मयोगोंको जानता हूँ तथा मैं कौन हूँ और कहाँसे आया हूँ--इस बातका भी मुझे ज्ञान है। लौकिक अभ्युदयका साधक प्रवृत्तिधर्म ओर नि:श्रेयस प्रदान करनेवाला निवृत्तिधर्म भी मुझसे अज्ञात नहीं है। एकमात्र मैं सनातन पुरुष ही सम्पूर्ण मनुष्योंका सुविख्यात आश्रयभूत नारायण हूँ
nivṛttilakṣaṇo dharmas tathābhyudayiko 'pi ca | narāṇām ayanaṃ khyātam aham ekaḥ sanātanaḥ ||
Eu sozinho sou o Eterno, o refúgio e o derradeiro destino, bem conhecido de todos os homens. Não ignoro o dharma caracterizado pela renúncia (nivṛtti), que conduz ao bem supremo; nem ignoro o dharma caracterizado pelo engajamento mundano (pravṛtti), que traz prosperidade e elevação.
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts two complementary orientations of dharma: nivṛtti (renunciatory discipline aimed at liberation) and abhyudaya (engaged duty aimed at worldly flourishing). It presents the ultimate ground of both as the eternal, singular refuge of beings—identified in the received tradition with Nārāyaṇa.
In the Shānti Parva’s didactic setting, a speaker identified here as Arjuna voices a theological claim of comprehensive knowledge of both paths of dharma and declares the ultimate refuge of humans to be the eternal One (understood by the accompanying tradition as Nārāyaṇa).