Mahabharata 3.201.111 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 201, Shloka 111

Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

द्वयक्षरादभिसंधाय केचिच्छलोकपदाड्कितै: । शतैरन्यै: सहसैश्न प्रत्ययो मोक्षलक्षणम्‌

Transliteration

dvayakṣarād abhisandhāya kecic chloka-padāṅkitaiḥ | śatair anyaiḥ sahasraiś ca pratyayo mokṣa-lakṣaṇam ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira nói: “Có người chỉ chuyên chú vào một âm tiết hai chữ mà biết được Thực Tại Tối Thượng; có người khác lại hiểu bản tánh của Đấng Tối Thượng qua hàng trăm, hàng nghìn lời kinh, được ghi dấu trong kệ và trong chữ. Dù đạt đến bằng cách nào, sự tỉnh thức chân thật—niềm xác tín sáng tỏ trong nội tâm—mới là dấu hiệu của giải thoát.”

Word by Word

• द्वि: two
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्वि

• अक्षरात्: from a syllable/letter
• अक्षरात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षर
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• अभिसंधाय: having intended/aimed at
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-सम्-धा
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क-चित्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• श्लोक: by verses
• श्लोक: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्लोक
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• पद: by words/terms
• पद: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अङ्कितैः: marked/characterized (by)
• अङ्कितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अङ्कित
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• शतैः: by hundreds
• शतैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अन्यैः: by other (ones)
• अन्यैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• सहस्रैः: by thousands
• सहस्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

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

• प्रत्ययः: conviction/knowledge
• प्रत्ययः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रत्यय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मोक्ष: of liberation
• मोक्ष: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• लक्षणम्: mark/characteristic
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Liberation is characterized by pratyaya—clear, settled inner realization. The means may be brief (a two-syllabled sacred utterance) or extensive (many scriptural statements), but the decisive mark is awakening/conviction of truth.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira is reflecting on the ways people come to know the Supreme Reality. He contrasts concise contemplative supports with extensive scriptural study, concluding that the essential outcome is genuine realization, which is the hallmark of mokṣa.