Shloka 17

Varṇa-lakṣaṇa and Ātma-saṃyama (Marks of Social Conduct and Self-Restraint) | वर्णलक्षणम् एवं आत्मसंयमः

Devanagari script

समुन्नमग्रतो वस्त्र पश्चाच्छुध्यति कर्मणा । उपवासै: प्रतप्तानां दीर्घ सुखमनन्तकम्‌

Transliteration

samunnam agrato vastraṁ paścāc chudhyati karmaṇā | upavāsaiḥ prataptānāṁ dīrghaṁ sukham anantakam ||

Translation

ภีษมะกล่าวว่า—ดุจผ้าที่แช่ไว้ก่อนด้วยด่างและสิ่งคล้ายกัน แล้วภายหลังย่อมสะอาดด้วยการซักฉันใด ผู้ที่บำเพ็ญตบะอันร้อนแรงด้วยการอดอาหารก็ย่อมได้มหาสุขอันยืนยาวและไร้ที่สุดฉันนั้น

Word by Word

• समुन्नम्: raised up, lifted
• समुन्नम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समुन्नम (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अग्रतः: in front, beforehand
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः

• वस्त्रम्: cloth, garment
• वस्त्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• पश्चात्: afterwards, later
• पश्चात्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात्

• शुध्यति: becomes clean, is purified
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुध्
• Form: Present (Lat), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कर्मणा: by action/effort; by washing (deed)
• कर्मणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• उपवासैः: by fasts
• उपवासैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• प्रतप्तानाम्: of those who are heated/afflicted; (here) of those who have practiced austerity
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• दीर्घम्: long-lasting
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• सुखम्: happiness, bliss
• सुखम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अनन्तकम्: endless, without termination
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्तक
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Fasting undertaken as disciplined austerity (tapas) purifies the practitioner and yields enduring, even ‘endless,’ well-being; purification is presented as a process—preparation plus sustained effort—like washing a pre-treated cloth.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, Bhishma continues advising by using a household analogy (cloth cleaned after being treated) to explain how ascetic practices—especially fasting—lead to inner purification and lasting happiness.