Shloka 21

Skanda–Mātṛgaṇa-janma: Kumārakāḥ, Kanyāgaṇāḥ, and the Vīrāṣṭaka (स्कन्द-मातृगण-सम्भवः)

Devanagari script

शोचतो न भवेत्‌ किंचित्‌ केवलं परितप्यते। परित्यजन्ति ये दुःखं सुखं वाप्युभयं नरा:,केवल शोक करनेसे कुछ नहीं होता, संतापमात्र ही हाथ लगता है। जो ज्ञानतृप्त मनीषी मानव सुख और दु:ख दोनोंका परित्याग कर देते हैं, वे ही सुखी होते हैं। मूढ़ मनुष्य असंतोषी होते हैं और ज्ञानवानोंको संतोष प्राप्त होता है

Transliteration

vyādha uvāca | śocato na bhavet kiñcit kevalaṃ paritapyate | parityajanti ye duḥkhaṃ sukhaṃ vāpy ubhayaṃ narāḥ |

Translation

Sinabi ng mangangaso: “Walang napapala sa pagdadalamhati; ang tao’y nasusunog lamang sa loob. Yaong mga nagwawaksi ng pighati—pati na ng ligaya, tunay ngang kapwa sakit at sarap—sila ang nakakamit ng kapayapaan; ngunit ang nalilinlang ay nananatiling di-makuntento, samantalang ang marunong ay dumarating sa kasiyahan sa pamamagitan ng pag-unawa.”

Word by Word

• {'vyādhaḥ': 'hunter

• the speaker in this discourse', 'uvāca': 'said', 'śocataḥ': 'of one who grieves

• while grieving', 'na bhavet': 'does not arise

• does not come about', 'kiñcit': 'anything

• any benefit', 'kevalam': 'only

• merely', 'paritapyate': 'is tormented

• is scorched with distress', 'parityajanti': 'abandon

• let go', 'ye': 'those who', 'duḥkham': 'sorrow

• suffering', 'sukham': 'pleasure

• happiness', 'vā api': 'or even

• and also', 'ubhayam': 'both (pleasure and pain)', 'narāḥ': 'people

Speaker

व्याध उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyādha (the hunter)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Grief is unproductive and only intensifies inner suffering; true well-being comes from wisdom-born contentment and equanimity—letting go of attachment to both pleasure and pain.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Vana Parva’s dharma-instruction context, the hunter (Vyādha) speaks as a moral teacher, advising the listener to abandon futile lamentation and cultivate steady understanding that transcends dualities.