Shloka 28

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

Devanagari script

राजसांस्तामसांश्वैव नित्यं दोषान्‌ विवर्जयेत्‌ । साच््विकं मार्गमास्थाय पश्येदात्मानमात्मना

Transliteration

rājasāṁs tāmasāṁś caiva nityaṁ doṣān vivarjayet | sāttvikaṁ mārgam āsthāya paśyed ātmānam ātmanā ||

Translation

Janaka nói: Hãy luôn từ bỏ những lỗi lầm sinh từ rajas (dục động) và tamas (u tối). Nương theo con đường sāttvika, hãy dùng chính tự tánh mà chiêm kiến Tự Ngã—nhờ sự trong sáng nội tâm và năng lực phân biệt được rèn luyện.

Word by Word

राजसान्rajasic (faults)

तामसान्tamasic (faults)

चand

एवindeed/just

नित्यम्always

दोषान्faults

विवर्जयेत्should avoid/abandon

सात्त्विकम्sattvic

मार्गम्path

आस्थायhaving adopted/taken up

पश्येत्should see/realize

आत्मानम्the Self

आत्मनाby/with the self (oneself)

Speaker

जनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Janaka

Ātman (Self)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Abandon the recurring defects rooted in rajas (passion) and tamas (delusion), and cultivate a sāttvika mode of life; through that purity and steadiness, realize the Ātman directly by inner awareness and discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instructional setting, King Janaka speaks as a teacher of inner wisdom, prescribing a practical ethical-spiritual discipline: reject lower tendencies and adopt the sāttvika path so that self-realization becomes possible.