Shloka 796

Āścarya-kathana: Brāhmaṇa–Nāga Dialogue on Sūrya (Vivasvat) and the ‘Second Sun’ Phenomenon

Devanagari script

वद सर्व यथादृष्ट॑ प्रवृत्ति च यथाक्रमम्‌ । जनमेजयने पूछा--मुने! वैकारिक पुरुष भगवान्‌ पुरुषोत्तमको कैसे प्राप्त कर सकता है? यह सब आप अपने अनुभवके अनुसार बताइये और उसकी प्रवृत्तिका भी क्रमशः वर्णन कीजिये

Transliteration

vad sarva yathādṛṣṭaṁ pravṛttiṁ ca yathākramam | janamejayena pṛṣṭaḥ—mune! vaikārikaḥ puruṣaḥ bhagavān puruṣottamaṁ kathaṁ prāptuṁ śaknoti? etat sarvaṁ bhavān svānubhava-anusāreṇa vada, tasya pravṛtteś ca kramam api yathāvat varṇaya ||

Translation

Janamejaya thưa: “Xin hãy kể cho ta mọi điều đúng như ngài đã thấy, và trình bày con đường thực hành theo đúng thứ tự. Bạch hiền giả, làm sao một người còn chịu sự biến đổi và những sửa đổi của đời có thể đạt đến Đấng Chí Tôn—Puruṣottama, bậc tối thượng trong các hữu thể? Xin giải bày tất cả theo sự chứng ngộ của ngài, và cũng xin nêu từng bước trật tự của hạnh kiểm đưa đến thành tựu ấy.”

Word by Word

• वद: speak; tell
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद्
• Form: लोट् (imperative), 2, singular, परस्मैपद

• सर्वम्: everything; all
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• यथा: as; according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• दृष्टम्: seen; observed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृष्ट
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular, past passive participle (क्त) from √दृश्

• प्रवृत्तिम्: conduct; course of action; practice
• प्रवृत्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवृत्ति
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

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

• यथा: as; according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• क्रमम्: order; sequence
• क्रमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• जनमेजय (Janamejaya)
• मुनि (the sage interlocutor)
• भगवान् पुरुषोत्तम (Bhagavān Puruṣottama, the Supreme Person)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a disciplined spiritual inquiry: attainment of the Supreme Person is not presented as accidental but as something approached through an ordered course of conduct (pravṛtti) grounded in direct realization and reliable instruction. It emphasizes sequential practice, ethical alignment, and experiential understanding rather than mere speculation.

What is happening in the narrative?

King Janamejaya addresses the sage and requests a clear, step-by-step explanation of how a changeable, conditioned human being can attain Bhagavān Puruṣottama. He asks the sage to speak from what he has truly known and to outline the proper progression of practice and conduct.