Shloka 53

Gautama–Śakra Saṃvāda: Karma, Loka-bheda, and the Restoration of the Elephant

Devanagari script

ते ब्रह्मभवन पुण्य प्राप्तुवन्तीह सात््विका: । न तत्र धृतराष्ट्रस्ते शक्‍्यो द्रष्ट महामुने

Transliteration

te brahmabhavana-puṇyaṁ prāptum antīha sāttvikāḥ | na tatra dhṛtarāṣṭras te śakyo draṣṭuṁ mahāmune ||

Translation

دھرتراشٹر نے کہا—اے مہامُنے! یہاں صرف ساتتوِک لوگ ہی پُنیہ مَے برہما کے بھون کو پاتے ہیں؛ وہاں آپ کے لیے دھرتراشٹر کا دیدار ممکن نہیں۔

Word by Word

• ते: they/those (men)
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ब्रह्मभवनम्: the abode/world of Brahman (Brahmaloka)
• ब्रह्मभवनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मभवन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पुण्यम्: meritorious, holy
• पुण्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्राप्तुम्: to attain
• प्राप्तुम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप्
• Form: Infinitive

• अन्ति: they reach/attain
• अन्ति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अन्ति
• Form: Present, 3rd, Plural

• इह: here (in this world/condition)
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• सात्त्विकाः: sattvic (pure-minded) men
• सात्त्विकाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सात्त्विक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• धृतराष्ट्रः: Dhritarashtra
• धृतराष्ट्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

• शक्यः: possible, able (to be)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• द्रष्टुम्: to see
• द्रष्टुम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Infinitive

• महामुने: O great sage
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Mahāmune (the great sage, addressee)
• Brahmabhavana/Brahmaloka

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links ethical-spiritual purity (sattva), disciplined conduct, and accumulated merit (puṇya) with attainment of higher realms (Brahmaloka), implying that vision/meeting across realms depends on one’s spiritual qualification and karmic destination.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses a great sage and states that only sāttvika, disciplined persons reach the holy Brahmaloka; he adds that in that realm the sage will not be able to see Dhṛtarāṣṭra—suggesting separation due to differing spiritual destinations or eligibility.