Shloka 13

Nārada’s Darśana of Viśvarūpa Nārāyaṇa and the Caturmūrti Doctrine (नारदस्य नारायणदर्शनं चतुर्मूर्तिविचारश्च)

Devanagari script

कि कार्य ब्राह्मणेनेह मोक्षार्थक्ष किमात्मक: । कथं च मोक्ष: प्राप्तव्यो ज्ञानेन तपसाथवा

Transliteration

kiṁ kāryaṁ brāhmaṇeneha mokṣārthaṁ ca kim-ātmakaḥ | kathaṁ ca mokṣaḥ prāptavyo jñānena tapasā athavā ||

Translation

Śuka thưa: “Trong đời này, bổn phận đúng đắn của một bà-la-môn cầu giải thoát là gì? Bản tính cốt yếu của mokṣa, với tư cách mục tiêu của con người, là gì? Và sự giải thoát ấy phải đạt được bằng phương tiện nào—bằng tri thức hay bằng khổ hạnh?”

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

• कार्यम्: duty; what is to be done
• कार्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• ब्राह्मणेन: by a brahmin
• ब्राह्मणेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• इह: here; in this world/context
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• मोक्षार्थः: the purpose/aim of liberation
• मोक्षार्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्षार्थ
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

• आत्मकः: of what nature; consisting in
• आत्मकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मक
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

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

• मोक्षः: liberation
• मोक्षः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• प्राप्तव्यः: to be attained
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राप्
• Form: gerundive (तव्यत्), masculine, nominative, singular

• ज्ञानेन: by knowledge
• ज्ञानेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• अथवा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा

Speaker

शुक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śuka
• brāhmaṇa
• mokṣa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames the inquiry that guides the teaching: for one oriented to liberation, especially a brāhmaṇa devoted to spiritual aims, one must clarify (1) what duties or disciplines are appropriate, (2) what mokṣa truly is in essence, and (3) whether liberation is primarily attained through jñāna (realizing truth) or through tapas (purifying discipline).

What is happening in the narrative?

Śuka, as the speaker, poses foundational questions about the path to liberation—asking about the right conduct for a liberation-seeker and the effective means to reach mokṣa—thereby setting up a doctrinal explanation in the surrounding discourse of the Śānti Parva.