Shloka 17

अध्याय १३२ — कर्मणा मनसा वाचा: स्वर्गमार्गः तथा आयुर्विपाकः

Adhyāya 132 — The path to heaven through deed, mind, and speech; karmic results for lifespan

Devanagari script

जगदग्निरुवाच यो यजेदश्वमेधेन वाजपेयशतेन ह । अवाक्‌शिरा वा लम्बेत सत्र॑ वा स्फीतमाहरेत्‌

Transliteration

Jamadagnir uvāca: yo yajed aśvamedhena vājapeya-śatena ha | avāk-śirā vā lambeta satraṁ vā sphītam āharet | kintu yasya hṛdayaṁ na śuddhaṁ sa pāpī niścayaṁ narakaṁ gacchati | yato yajñaḥ satyaṁ ca hṛdaya-śuddhiś ca trayaḥ samāḥ (tathāpi hṛdaya-śuddhiḥ śreṣṭhā) ||

Translation

Jamadagni nói: “Dẫu một người làm lễ Aśvamedha, hay làm đến trăm lễ Vājapeya; dẫu người ấy chịu khổ hạnh nghiêm khắc—treo mình trên cây với đầu chúc xuống—hay mở một kỳ satra (đại lễ tế kéo dài) thịnh vượng; nhưng nếu tâm không thanh tịnh, kẻ tội lỗi ấy ắt sa địa ngục. Vì tế lễ, chân thật và sự thanh tịnh của tâm đều đáng giá ngang nhau—song thanh tịnh của tâm là cao nhất.”

Word by Word

• जगदग्निः: Jamadagni (sage)
• जगदग्निः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जमदग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यजेत्: should perform sacrifice
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अश्वमेधेन: by (means of) the Aśvamedha sacrifice
• अश्वमेधेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• वाजपेयशतेन: by a hundred Vājapeya sacrifices
• वाजपेयशतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजपेयशत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• ह: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

• अवाक्: downwards
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अवाक्

• शिराः: head (with head)
• शिराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• लम्बेत: should hang (suspend himself)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लम्ब्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• सत्रम्: a satra (long sacrificial session)
• सत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• स्फीतम्: prosperous, abundant
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्फीत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आहरेत्: should undertake / bring about / institute
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-हृ
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

धौग्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Jamadagni
• Aśvamedha
• Vājapeya
• Satra
• Naraka

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

External religious achievements—grand sacrifices or severe austerities—do not redeem a person whose inner disposition is impure. Moral purification of the heart is presented as the highest religious value, even above ritual performance, and it is inseparable from truthfulness.

What is happening in the narrative?

A sage (Jamadagni) delivers an instruction in the Anuśāsana Parva, contrasting prestigious Vedic rites and harsh ascetic practices with the decisive criterion of spiritual worth: purity of heart. The statement functions as ethical counsel, warning that ritual without inner integrity leads to downfall.