Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 723

Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda

Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity

Devanagari script

श्रूयतां येन तुष्यामो मर्त्याना साधुकर्मणाम्‌ । पितरोंने कहा--महाभाग देवताओ! आपने न्यायत:ः अपना संदेह उपस्थित किया है। उत्तम कर्म करनेवाले मनुष्योंके जिस कार्यसे हम संतुष्ट होते हैं, उसको सुनिये

Transliteration

śrūyatāṁ yena tuṣyāmo martyānāṁ sādhukarmaṇām |

Translation

释迦罗说道：“当听那使我们——祖灵（Pitṛs）——对行善之世人感到欣悦之道。诸位大福天神，你们以公正得体之法提出疑问；如今且听贤善之人的行持与作为，何以令我们满足。”

Word by Word

• श्रूयताम्: let it be heard (by you two) / please listen
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), कर्मणि (passive), 3, dual

• येन: by which (means/act)
• येन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• तुष्यामः: we are pleased / we become satisfied
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपदम्, 1, plural

• मर्त्यानाम्: of mortals / of human beings
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, genitive, plural

• साधु-कर्मणाम्: of those whose deeds are good / of the virtuous-doers
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साधु + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, genitive, plural

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Pitṛs (ancestors)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Righteous conduct and good deeds performed by humans are said to please the Pitṛs; the passage introduces an ethical criterion for actions that generate ancestral approval and merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śakra (Indra) responds to a properly raised doubt and invites the listeners to hear which virtuous human actions satisfy the Pitṛs, setting up a didactic explanation about dharmic behavior and its fruits.