Shloka 17

श्रेयो-धर्मकर्मविचारः

Inquiry into Śreyas, Dharma, and Karma

Devanagari script

कर्मणा स्वनुरक्तानि विरक्तानि च दानव | यथा कर्मविशेषांश्र प्राप्रुवन्ति तथा शूणु

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | karmaṇā svānuraktāni viraktāni ca dānava | yathā karma-viśeṣāṁś ca prāpnuvanti tathā śṛṇu |

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: Hỡi Danava, chúng sinh trở nên luyến ái hay ly tham tùy theo nghiệp của mình. Nay hãy nghe: theo những loại hành động riêng biệt, họ đạt đến những trạng thái tương ứng—những gì sinh ra đam mê và những gì sinh ra sự lìa dục.

Word by Word

• कर्मणा: by/through action (karma)
• कर्मणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• स्वनुरक्तानि: attached (devoted) to their own (karma)
• स्वनुरक्तानि: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वनुरक्त
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• विरक्तानि: detached (dispassionate)
• विरक्तानि: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरक्त
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• दानव: O Dānava (descendant of Danu)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• यथा: as; in the manner that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• कर्मविशेषान्: particular kinds of actions (specific karmas)
• कर्मविशेषान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मविशेष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• प्राप्नुवन्ति: they attain/obtain
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• तथा: so; in that way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• शृणु: hear; listen
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Danava (addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That attachment and detachment are not random traits but arise from one’s actions: different kinds of karma cultivate corresponding mental dispositions and lead to matching outcomes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma addresses a Danava and introduces an explanation of how beings, shaped by specific actions, come to states of passion (raga) or dispassion (viraga), setting up a broader ethical teaching on karma and its results.