Shloka 20

Śiva-stavarāja: Upamanyu’s Preface and Initiation of the Śarva-Nāma Enumeration

Anuśāsana-parva 17

Devanagari script

य॑ं ज्ञात्वा अन्तकाले5पि गच्छेत परमां गतिम्‌ । पवित्र मड़लं मेध्यं कल्याणमिदमुत्तमम्‌

Transliteration

yaṁ jñātvā antakāle ’pi gacchet paramāṁ gatim | pavitra-maṇḍalaṁ medhyaṁ kalyāṇam idam uttamam ||

Translation

Vāyu nói: “Ai biết được pháp này—dẫu ngay trong giờ phút lâm chung—cũng đạt đến cảnh giới tối thượng. Bản Sahasranāma-stotra này vô cùng thanh tịnh, cát tường và thù thắng: một vòng tụng ca thánh khiết, có năng lực tẩy sạch và nâng cao tâm trí, dẫn người đến thiện ích tối hậu.”

Word by Word

• यम्: whom/which
• यम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral), Non-finite

• अन्तकाले: at the final time (at death)
• अन्तकाले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तकाल
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• गच्छेत्: would go/attain
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Vidhi-linga (optative), Present-system, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• परमाम्: supreme
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• गतिम्: state/goal/destination
• गतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• पवित्रम्: pure, sanctifying
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पवित्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• मण्डलम्: circle/orb; (here) sacred sphere/collection
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• मेध्यम्: fit for sacrifice, purifying
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेध्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• कल्याणम्: auspicious, beneficial
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कल्याण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• इदम्: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• उत्तमम्: best, excellent
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• paramā gati (the highest state/goal)
• stotra/maṇḍala (hymn-compendium, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches the salvific power of true knowledge and remembrance of a sacred hymn: even if one understands it at the time of death, it can lead to the highest spiritual attainment. Ethically, it emphasizes purification of mind and life through devotion and sacred recitation/understanding.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu introduces and praises a highly sanctifying, auspicious stotra (a compendium of sacred names/verses), declaring its exceptional merit and its capacity to grant the supreme goal—even when realized at life’s end.