Shloka 32

एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline

Devanagari script

इदं श्रेय इदं ब्रह्म इदं हितमनुत्तमम्‌ । लोकान्‌ संचिन्त्य मनसा तत: शास्त्र प्रचक्रिरे,इन्होंने मन-ही-मन यह सोचकर कि अमुक साधनसे जगत्‌का कल्याण होगा, अमुकसे परमात्माकी प्राप्ति होगी तथा अमुक उपायसे संसारका सर्वोत्तम हितसाधन होगा, शास्त्रकी रचना की

Transliteration

idam śreya idam brahma idam hitam anuttamam | lokān sañcintya manasā tataḥ śāstraṃ pracakrire ||

Translation

“Ito ang kabutihan; ito ang Brahman; ito ang walang kapantay na kapakinabangan.” Pagkatapos pagnilayan sa isip ang mga daigdig, ang mga pantas ay bumuo ng mga śāstra—tinutukoy kung aling mga disiplina ang magdudulot ng kabutihang panlahat, alin ang aakay sa pagkakabatid sa Kataas-taasan, at alin ang magtitiyak ng pinakamataas na pakinabang para sa buhay sa sanlibutan.

Word by Word

• {'idam': 'this', 'śreyaḥ (śreya)': 'the good

• the highest good', 'brahma': 'Brahman

• ultimate reality', 'hitam': 'welfare

• what is salutary', 'anuttamam': 'unsurpassed

• supreme', 'lokān': 'the worlds

• people/society (collectively)', 'sañcintya': 'having reflected upon

• having deliberated', 'manasā': 'with the mind

• mentally', 'tataḥ': 'then

• thereafter', 'śāstram': 'treatise

• normative scripture', 'pracakrire': 'they set in motion

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• lokāḥ (the worlds/people)
• śāstra (authoritative teachings)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Śāstra is presented as a deliberate, welfare-oriented human (and sage) enterprise: teachings are formulated after reflecting on society’s needs—distinguishing (1) what brings true good (śreyas), (2) what leads to realization of Brahman, and (3) what secures the highest practical welfare (hita) for the world.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, instructing on dharma in the Śānti Parva, explains how authoritative teachings arose: sages contemplated the condition of the worlds and then composed śāstras to guide people toward social well-being and ultimate liberation.