Shloka 21

Vidyā–Avidyā and the Twenty-Fifth Principle

Sāṃkhya–Yoga Clarification

Devanagari script

रेशमी वस्त्र, सुन्दर आभूषण, वाहन, आसन और उत्तम खान-पान आदि सब कुछ तपस्याका ही फल है ।।

Transliteration

mano'nukūlāḥ pramadā rūpavatyaḥ sahasraśaḥ | vāsaḥ prāsāda-pṛṣṭhe ca tat sarvaṁ tapasaḥ phalam ||

Translation

Parāśara nói: “Y phục lụa, trang sức mỹ lệ, xe cộ, chỗ ngồi, và đồ ăn thức uống thượng hạng—tất cả đều là quả của khổ hạnh (tapas). Lại nữa, hàng ngàn thiếu nữ dung nhan tuyệt sắc, thuận theo ý muốn của một người, cùng chỗ ở trên những sân thượng cung điện—mọi hưởng lạc như thế đều hoàn toàn là quả của khổ hạnh.”

Word by Word

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अनुकूलाः: favorable, pleasing
• अनुकूलाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुकूल
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रमदाः: women, young women
• प्रमदाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमदा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• रूपवत्यः: beautiful, possessing beauty
• रूपवत्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूपवत्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• सहस्रशः: by thousands, in thousands
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस्

• वासः: dwelling, residence
• वासः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रासादपृष्ठे: on/at the palace-terrace (palace-top)
• प्रासादपृष्ठे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासादपृष्ठ
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

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

• तत्: that, all that
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तपसः: of austerity, of penance
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

पराशर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• pramadāḥ (beautiful women)
• prāsāda (palace)
• vāsa (residence)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse states that worldly luxuries—beauty, companionship, and palatial living—can arise as results of tapas, prompting ethical reflection on whether austerity should be pursued for such rewards or for higher spiritual aims.

What is happening in the narrative?

Parāśara is speaking within the Śānti Parva’s didactic discourse, describing the kinds of desirable worldly outcomes that are said to follow from austerity.