Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 68

Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda

Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity

Devanagari script

एवमेतत्‌ पुरा दृष्टं कुलवृद्धैर्द्धिजातिभि: । तस्माद्‌ वर्ज्यानि वर्ज्यानि कार्य कार्य च नित्यश:

Transliteration

evam etat purā dṛṣṭaṁ kulavṛddhair dvijātibhiḥ | tasmād varjyāni varjyāni kāryaṁ kāryaṁ ca nityaśaḥ ||

Translation

“Ganyan nga ang nakita noong unang panahon ng matatandang may kapangyarihan sa mga mararangal na angkan sa hanay ng mga dvija (dalawang ulit na isinilang). Kaya ang dapat iwasan ay iwasan, at ang dapat gawin ay gawin—palagi, nang walang pagkukulang.”

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• एतत्: this (thing)
• एतत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• पुरा: formerly, in olden times
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• दृष्टम्: seen, observed (has been seen)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), neuter, nominative, singular, passive/resultative

• कुलवृद्धैः: by the elders of the family
• कुलवृद्धैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुलवृद्ध
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• द्विजातिभिः: by the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजातिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजाति
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that (reason)
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तस्मात् (तद्)
• Form: masculine/neuter, ablative, singular

• वर्ज्यानि: things to be avoided
• वर्ज्यानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ज्य
• Form: यत् (gerundive/obligatory), neuter, nominative, plural

• वर्ज्यानि: things to be avoided (emphatic repetition)
• वर्ज्यानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ज्य
• Form: यत् (gerundive/obligatory), neuter, nominative, plural

• कार्य: what is to be done
• कार्य: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य
• Form: यत् (gerundive/obligatory), neuter, nominative, singular

• कार्यम्: what is to be done (emphatic repetition)
• कार्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य
• Form: यत् (gerundive/obligatory), neuter, nominative, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• नित्यशः: always, constantly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यशस्

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• kulavṛddhāḥ (elders of lineages)
• dvijāti (the twice-born classes)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is to be practiced as a steady discipline: avoid what is forbidden or harmful (varjya) and perform what is enjoined as duty (kārya), guided by the tested wisdom of elders and established tradition.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śakra (Indra) is affirming a principle of right conduct by appealing to ancient precedent: elders among the twice-born have long recognized these norms, so one should consistently follow the path of avoidance of wrong and performance of duty.