Shloka 13

Sāttvika-vṛtta-kathana (Brahmā on the Conduct of Sattva) — Chapter 38

Devanagari script

विकुर्वन्त: प्रकृत्या वै दिवं प्राप्तास्ततस्तत:

Transliteration

vikurvantaḥ prakṛtyā vai divaṃ prāptās tataḥ tataḥ

Translation

Vāyu nói: “Hành xử đúng theo bản tính bẩm sinh của mình, họ đã đạt đến cõi trời—mỗi người theo cách riêng và theo đúng thời vận.”

Word by Word

• विकुर्वन्तः: doing/performing; acting (in various ways)
• विकुर्वन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + कृ (धातु) → विकुर्वत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमान (शतृ), बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा

• प्रकृत्या: by (their) nature; naturally
• प्रकृत्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• वै: indeed; surely
• वै: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• दिवम्: heaven; the sky
• दिवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक: दिव)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्राप्ताः: having reached; attained
• प्राप्ताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूत (क्त), बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)

• ततः: again/thereupon; repeatedly (in sequence)
• ततः: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वायुदेव (Vāyu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the Mahābhārata’s ethical idea that beings act according to their inherent disposition (prakṛti/svabhāva), and that their actions lead to corresponding outcomes—here expressed as attaining heaven in an ordered, fitting manner.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu is speaking and summarizing the consequence of certain beings’ conduct: by acting in line with their nature, they reached the heavenly realm, each following his own course ‘thereafter’ (tataḥ tataḥ).