Shloka 78

Atithi-satkāra and the Consolation of Wise Counsel (अतिथिसत्कारः प्रज्ञानवचनस्य च पराश्वासनम्)

Devanagari script

निराशी: कर्मसंयुक्त: सत्त्वतश्नाप्पकल्मष: । सात्त्वतज्ञानदृष्टोडहं सत्त्वतामिति सात्त्वत:ः,धनंजय! मैं पहले कभी सत्त्वसे च्युत नहीं हुआ हूँ। सत्त्वको मुझसे ही उत्पन्न हुआ समझो। मेरा वह पुरातन सत्त्व इस अवतारकालमें भी विद्यमान है। सत्त्वके कारण ही मैं पापसे रहित हो निष्कामकर्ममें लगा रहता हूँ। भगवत्प्राप्त पुरुषोंके सात्त्वतज्ञान (पांचरात्रादि वैष्णवतन्त्र) से मेरे स्‍्वरूपका बोध होता है। इन सब कारणोंसे लोग मुझे 'सात्त्वत” कहते

Transliteration

nirāśīḥ karmasaṁyuktaḥ sattvataś cāpy akalmaṣaḥ | sāttvata-jñāna-dṛṣṭo 'haṁ sattvatām iti sāttvataḥ ||

(dhanañjaya! ahaṁ pūrvaṁ kadācid api sattvāc cyuto na bhūtaḥ | sattvaṁ matta eva utpannam iti manyasva | mama tat purātanaṁ sattvam asmin avatāra-kāle 'pi vidyate | sattva-kāraṇād eva ahaṁ pāpa-rahitaḥ niṣkāma-karmaṇi pravṛtto bhavāmi | bhagavat-prāpta-puruṣāṇāṁ sāttvata-jñānena (pañcarātrādi-vaiṣṇava-tantraiḥ) mama svarūpa-bodho bhavati | etaiḥ kāraṇaiḥ lokā māṁ “sāttvata” iti vadanti |)

Translation

निराशी कर्मसंयुक्तः सत्त्वतः स्नापितकल्मषः । सात्त्वतज्ञानदृष्टोऽहं तस्मात् सात्त्वत उच्यते ॥ धनञ्जय! नाहं कदाचित् सत्त्वाच्च्युतपूर्वः। मत्त एव सत्त्वस्योत्पत्तिं विद्धि; मम तत् पुरातनं सत्त्वमस्मिन्नप्यवतारे वर्तमानम्। सत्त्वहेतोर्निष्कल्मषोऽहं निष्कामकर्मणि प्रवर्ते। भगवत्प्राप्ता जनाः पाञ्चरात्रादिवैष्णवतन्त्ररूपेण सात्त्वतज्ञानेन मम स्वरूपं प्रजानन्ति; तस्माद् लोकाः मां “सात्त्वत” इति वदन्ति।

Word by Word

निराशीःdesireless, without expectation

कर्मसंयुक्तःengaged in action, joined with work

सत्त्वतःfrom/owing to sattva; by virtue of sattva

नnot

आप्नोतिattains, reaches

कल्मषम्sin, impurity, taint

सात्त्वतज्ञानदृष्टःseen/known through Sāttvata-knowledge

अहम्I

सत्त्वताम्the state/quality of sattva

इतिthus, as

सात्त्वतःa Sāttvata (one characterized by sattva)

धनंजयO Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)

Speaker

तामिन्द्र उवाच गच्छ नहुषस्त्वया वाच्योथ<पूर्वेण मामृषियुक्तेन यानेन त्वमधिरूढ

Characters & Entities

Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)

Sāttvata (as a title/identity)

Pāñcarātra (implied as a Vaiṣṇava tantra tradition)

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 (sattva) enables desireless action: one can remain actively engaged in karma while being free from craving and moral stain. The verse also links true understanding of the divine nature to sāttvata-jñāna—disciplined devotional knowledge—suggesting that ethical action and spiritual insight arise from the same inner clarity.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker explains why he is called “Sāttvata”: he is inherently established in sattva, never deviates from it, and therefore acts without selfish desire and without sin. He further states that realized devotees comprehend his true form through Sāttvata-knowledge (associated with Vaiṣṇava traditions like the Pāñcarātra).