Shloka 18

Śuka–Janaka Saṃvāda: Āśrama-krama, Jñāna-vijñāna, and the Marks of Liberation (शुक-जनक संवादः)

Devanagari script

अकार्पण्यमसंरम्भ: क्षमा धृतिरहिंसता । समता सत्यमानृण्यं मार्दवं हवीरचापलम्‌

Transliteration

Yājñavalkya uvāca: akāṛpaṇyam asaṃrambhaḥ kṣamā dhṛtir ahiṃsatā | samatā satyam ānṛṇyaṃ mārdavaṃ hrīr acāpalam ||

Translation

یاجنولکیا نے کہا—بخل سے پاکی، غضب ناک ہیجان کا نہ ہونا، درگزر، ثابت قدمی اور اہنسا؛ برابریِ نظر، سچائی، بے قرضی، نرمی، حیا اور بے تزلزل استقامت—یہ سَتّو سے پیدا ہونے والی خوبیاں ہیں۔

Word by Word

• अकार्पण्यम्: non-miserliness; absence of meanness
• अकार्पण्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकार्पण्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• असंरम्भः: absence of anger/impetuosity
• असंरम्भः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: असंरम्भ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षमा: forbearance; forgiveness
• क्षमा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षमा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• धृतिः: steadfastness; firmness
• धृतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अहिंसता: non-violence
• अहिंसता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहिंसता
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• समता: equanimity; even-mindedness
• समता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: समता
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यम्: truthfulness
• सत्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• आनृण्यम्: freedom from debt/obligation
• आनृण्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनृण्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• मार्दवम्: gentleness; softness
• मार्दवम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्दव
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• ह्रीः: modesty; shame (sense of propriety)
• ह्रीः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ह्री
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अचापलम्: steadiness; absence of fickleness
• अचापलम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचापल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

याज़्वल्क्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yājñavalkya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse lists sattva-born virtues: inner generosity and courage (akāṛpaṇya), freedom from anger (asaṃrambha), patience (kṣamā), steadfastness (dhṛti), non-violence (ahiṃsā), equanimity (samatā), truthfulness (satyam), freedom from burdensome obligations (ānṛṇya), gentleness (mārdava), modest restraint (hrī), and steady, non-restless conduct (acāpalam). Together they describe a calm, ethical character fit for dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and inner discipline, Yājñavalkya speaks as a teacher enumerating the marks of a sattvic disposition—qualities that stabilize conduct and purify intention, contrasting with agitation and harm.