Shloka 21

कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः

Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma

Devanagari script

यद्येष पुरुषो वेद वेदा अपि न त॑ विदुः । सर्वमाश्नर्यमेवैतन्निवृत्तं राजसत्तम

Transliteration

yadyeṣa puruṣo veda vedā api na taṁ viduḥ | sarvam āścaryam evaitan nivṛttaṁ rājasattama ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: «Если этот человек воистину знает (истину), то даже Веды не могут его “познать” — столь тонко и недосягаемо для обычного восприятия его состояние. Всё это поистине дивно, о лучший из царей, ибо он отступил от мирской вовлечённости и пребывает в отрешении (от желания и действия)».

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुरुषः: man, person
• पुरुषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वेद: knows
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वेदाः: the Vedas
• वेदाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अपि: even, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विदुः: know
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• सर्वम्: all (this)
• सर्वम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• आश्चर्यम्: a wonder, marvel
• आश्चर्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• निवृत्तम्: has turned back/ceased; is withdrawn
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-वृत्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular, Past Passive Participle (क्त)

• राजसत्तम: O best of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजसत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Vedas
• rājasattama (addressed king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the paradox that ultimate realization can transcend even scriptural description: a truly withdrawn, desireless knower may be ‘beyond’ what the Vedas can fully capture in words, emphasizing lived renunciation over mere textual learning.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana comments to a king (addressed as ‘best of kings’) about an extraordinary person’s state: the person is described as having turned away from worldly engagement, and this withdrawal is presented as a marvel that surpasses ordinary understanding.