Shloka 76

Atithi-prāpti and the Brāhmaṇa’s Deliberation on Triadic Dharma (अतिथिप्राप्तिः धर्मत्रयविचारश्च)

Devanagari script

सोऊ5हं क्रियावतां पन्था: पुनरावत्तिदुर्लभ: । यो यथा निर्मितो जन्तुर्यस्मिन्‌ यस्मिंश्व॒ कर्मणि

Transliteration

so ’haṁ kriyavatāṁ panthāḥ punarāvṛtti-durlabhaḥ | yo yathā nirmito jantur yasmin yasmiṁś ca karmaṇi ||

Translation

వైశంపాయనుడు పలికెను—క్రియానిష్ఠులైనవారి ఈ మార్గం, ఒకసారి దానినుండి విముఖుడైతే మళ్లీ దానిలోకి తిరిగి రావడం దుర్లభం. ఎందుకంటే ఏ జీవి ఏ విధంగా నిర్మింపబడినాడో, అతడు స్వభావానుసారంగా ఆ ఆ కర్మలోనే ప్రవృత్తుడవుతాడు.

Word by Word

सःthat (he/it)

उindeed/and (emphatic particle)

अहम्I

क्रियावताम्of those who act / of the active

पन्थाःpath, way

पुनरावृत्ति-दुर्लभःhard to obtain again / difficult to return to

यःwho/which

यथाas, in whatever manner

निर्मितःcreated, fashioned

जन्तुःliving being, creature

यस्मिन्in which

चand

कर्मणिin (a) deed/action

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse stresses that steadfast commitment to disciplined, rightful action (kriyā/dharma) is not easily regained once abandoned, because beings tend to act according to their inherent constitution (svabhāva) and are naturally inclined toward particular kinds of work.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic discourse of the Śānti Parva, Vaiśampāyana continues explaining principles of conduct: he remarks on the difficulty of returning to the disciplined path after deviation, and links human conduct to the way each being is ‘made’ and thus drawn to specific actions.