Shloka 17

Devanagari script

उत्तमां बुद्धिमास्थाय ब्रह्म भूयान्‌ भविष्यसि । संतीर्ण: सर्वसंसारात्‌ प्रसन्नात्मा विकल्मष:

Transliteration

uttamāṁ buddhim āsthāya brahma bhūyān bhaviṣyasi | saṁtīrṇaḥ sarvasaṁsārāt prasannātmā vikalmaṣaḥ ||

Translation

Vyāsa nói: “Nương tựa nơi trí tuệ tối thượng, con sẽ được an lập trọn vẹn hơn trong Phạm (Brahman). Vượt qua toàn thể vòng luân hồi thế tục, con sẽ an trú với tự tâm thanh thản, không vết nhơ.”

Word by Word

उत्तमाम्best, excellent

बुद्धिम्understanding, intellect

आस्थायhaving resorted to / having adopted

ब्रह्मBrahman, the Absolute

भूयान्greater, more (in a higher state)

भविष्यसिyou will become

संतीर्णःhaving crossed over, having passed beyond

सर्वसंसारात्from the entire cycle of worldly existence

प्रसन्नात्माone whose self is serene

विकल्मषःfree from impurity/sin

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Brahman

Saṁsāra

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Cultivate and rely upon the highest discernment (uttamā buddhi)—a purified, truth-oriented understanding—so that one becomes established in Brahman, transcends saṁsāra, and attains inner serenity and freedom from moral and mental taint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa delivers a concise assurance and instruction: by adopting supreme spiritual understanding, the listener will cross beyond worldly bondage and abide as a tranquil, purified self, oriented toward Brahman-realization.