Shloka 15

नारद–असित (देवल) संवादः — भूतप्रभवाप्यय, इन्द्रिय-गुण-विवेक, क्षेत्रज्ञ-तत्त्व

Devanagari script

एवं विदित्वा सर्वार्थानारभेतेति वैदिकम्‌ । नारभेतेति चान्यत्र नैछ्िकी श्रूयते श्रुति:,ऐसा जानकर समस्त कार्योंका आरम्भ करे, यह वैदिक मत है। अन्यत्र यह सिद्धान्तभूत श्रुति भी सुनी जाती है कि कर्मोका आरम्भ ही न करे

Transliteration

evaṁ viditvā sarvārthān ārabheteti vaidikam | nārabheteti cānyatra naiṣkikī śrūyate śrutiḥ ||

Translation

కపిలుడు పలికెను—ఈ విధంగా సమస్త ప్రయోజనాలను తెలుసుకొని కర్మను ఆరంభించాలి—ఇది వైదిక మతం. అయితే మరొక చోట నైష్ఠికమైన శ్రుతి కూడా వినబడుతుంది; అది కర్మను ఆరంభించకూడదని స్థాపిస్తుంది.

Word by Word

एवम्thus, in this manner

विदित्वाhaving known

सर्वार्थान्all purposes/objects (all matters)

आरभेतshould begin/undertake

इतिthus (quotative)

वैदिकम्Vedic (doctrine/statement)

नnot

आरभेतshould begin/undertake

इतिthus (quotative)

चand

अन्यत्रelsewhere, in another place/context

नैष्ठिकीfinal/definitive (as a settled doctrine)

श्रूयतेis heard/is recited

श्रुतिःŚruti (revealed text/statement)

Speaker

कपिल उवाच

Characters & Entities

Kapila

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Kapila highlights a tension within scriptural discourse: one strand of Vedic teaching endorses undertaking action after proper understanding, while another śruti passage is cited as advocating non-initiation of action—pointing to the need for discernment about context, aim (dharma/artha/mokṣa), and the seeker’s stage of life.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s philosophical instruction, Kapila is presenting competing scriptural viewpoints to frame a discussion on whether liberation-oriented wisdom leads to engaged action (performed with understanding) or to renunciant non-engagement (refraining from initiating karma).