Shloka 24
Udyoga Parva Adhyāya 132 — Vidura’s Counsel on Udyama, Yaśas, and Kṣātra-Dharma
Devanagari script
श्रुतेन तपसा वापि श्रिया वा विक्रमेण वा
Transliteration
śrutena tapasā vāpi śriyā vā vikrameṇa vā
Translation
श्रुतेन तपसा वापि श्रिया वा विक्रमेण वा।
Word by Word
श्रुतेनby learning / by sacred knowledge
श्रुतेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootश्रुति
FormFeminine, Instrumental, Singular
तपसाby austerity / penance
तपसा:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootतपस्
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
वाor
वा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा
अपिalso / even
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
श्रियाby prosperity / by fortune / by splendor
श्रिया:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootश्री
FormFeminine, Instrumental, Singular
वाor
वा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा
विक्रमेणby valor / by prowess
विक्रमेण:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootविक्रम
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
वाor
वा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा
Speaker
वायुदेव उवाच
Characters & Entities
V
Vāyu (Wind-god)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse lists major sources of human excellence—learning, austerity, prosperity, and valor—implying that moral worth or rightful standing is not confined to a single kind of achievement; it can be grounded in multiple forms of merit, each carrying ethical responsibility.
Vāyu is speaking and begins a statement by enumerating different bases of distinction (scriptural learning, ascetic discipline, worldly fortune, and heroic power), setting up a broader point that continues in the surrounding verses.