Shloka 6

Adhyāya 108: Paścima-dik—Varuṇa’s Realm, Sunset Cosmology, and Sacred-Geographic Markers

Suparṇa–Gālava संवाद

Devanagari script

अत्र धर्मश्न सत्यं च कर्म चात्र निगद्यते | गतिरेषा द्विजश्रेष्ठ कर्मणामवसायिनाम्‌

Transliteration

atra dharmaś ca satyaṃ ca karma cātra nigadyate | gatir eṣā dvijaśreṣṭha karmaṇām avasāyinām ||

Translation

Tại đây, hỡi bậc tối thượng trong hàng Bà-la-môn, người ta luận nói về Dharma và Chân lý, và cũng tại đây các hành vi được ghi nhận. Đây là lộ trình đã định cho chúng sinh hữu thân khi nghiệp của họ đi đến hồi kết—chính về phương này mà kẻ chết và nghiệp của họ nương đến, để được tâu trình trước mặt Chúa tể của Dharma.

Word by Word

• अत्र: here; in this direction/place
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• धर्मः: dharma; righteousness
• धर्मः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• कर्म: action; deed
• कर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• निगद्यते: is stated; is declared
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-गद्
• Form: Lat, Present, Passive, Third, Singular

• गतिः: path; course; resort
• गतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• एषा: this
• एषा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: O best of the twice-born
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कर्मणाम्: of actions/deeds
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• अवसायिनाम्: of those that end/terminate (i.e., of the departed/ended)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवसायिन्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

Speaker

युपर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• युपर्ण (Yuparṇa)
• द्विजश्रेष्ठ (addressed Brahmin interlocutor)
• धर्म (Dharma, as principle)
• सत्य (Truth, as principle)
• कर्म (deeds/actions, as principle)
• धर्मराज (Dharmarāja/Yama)
• चित्रगुप्त (Citragupta)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That beings are morally accountable: dharma, truth, and all deeds are ‘reported’ and assessed, and at the end of life one inevitably follows the destined path shaped by one’s actions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yuparṇa explains to a Brahmin that this particular ‘direction/region’ is associated with the reckoning of beings’ deeds—where dharma, truth, and karma are recounted in connection with Dharmarāja (Yama), traditionally with Citragupta as the recorder.