Shloka 2

Devanagari script

कर्मणा मनसा वाचा त्रिविधं हि नर: सदा । बध्यते बन्धनै: पाशैर्मुव्यते5प्पयथवा पुन:,मनुष्य मन, वाणी और क्रिया--इन तीन प्रकारके बन्धनोंसे सदा बँधता है और फिर उन बन्धनोंसे मुक्त होता है

Transliteration

karmaṇā manasā vācā trividhaṃ hi naraḥ sadā | badhyate bandhanaiḥ pāśair mucyate 'py athavā punaḥ ||

Translation

మహేశ్వరుడు పలికెను—“కర్మచేత, మనస్సుచేత, వాక్చేత—ఈ త్రివిధ పాశములచేత మనుడు నిత్యము బద్ధుడగును; మరల ఇదే మార్గములచేత బంధనమునుండి విముక్తుడగును.”

Word by Word

कर्मणाby action/deed

मनसाby mind

वाचाby speech/word

त्रिविधम्threefold

हिindeed/for

नरःa man/person

सदाalways

बध्यतेis bound

बन्धनैःby bonds

पाशैःby nooses/fetters

मुच्यतेis released/freed

अपिalso/even

अथthen/and

वाor

पुनःagain

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śrī Maheśvara (Śiva)

nara (human being)

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?

Human bondage and freedom arise through the same three instruments—action, thought, and speech. When these are driven by desire, anger, deceit, or harm, they bind; when governed by restraint, truth, compassion, and right intention, they become means of release.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śrī Maheśvara is instructing about the moral mechanics of bondage and liberation, emphasizing that ethical purification is practical and comprehensive: one must reform conduct (karma), inner intention (manas), and expression (vāc).