Shloka 29

Brahma-vidyā: Satya–Tapas and the Enumeration of Tattvas

Arjuna–Vāsudeva framed dialogue

Devanagari script

कथं कर्म क्रियात्‌ साधु कथं मुच्येत किल्बिषात्‌ । के नो मार्गा: शिवाश्र स्यु: कि सत्यं कि च दुष्कृतम्‌

Transliteration

kathaṁ karma kriyāt sādhu kathaṁ mucyeta kilbiṣāt | ke no mārgāḥ śivāśrasyuḥ ki satyaṁ ki ca duṣkṛtam ||

Translation

风神曰：“当如何正当地行事作业？人如何得以脱离罪垢？哪些道路于我等为吉祥、能致福祉？何为真实？何为恶行？”

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

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

• क्रियात्: should do / may perform
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• साधु: well, properly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• मुच्येत: would be released / should be freed
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• किल्बिषात्: from sin, from fault
• किल्बिषात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: किल्बिष
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• के: which? what (plural)?
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नः: of us / our
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Plural, —

• मार्गाः: paths, ways
• मार्गाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शिवाः: auspicious, beneficial
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स्युः: might be / should be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• किम्: what?
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• किम्: what?
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• दुष्कृतम्: evil deed, sin
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्कृत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu-deva

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a classic dharma-inquiry: right performance of action (karma), release from moral fault (kilbiṣa), identification of auspicious life-paths (śiva-mārga), and discernment between truth (satya) and wrongdoing (duṣkṛta). It sets up ethical discrimination and disciplined conduct as the means to purification and welfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Ashvamedhika Parva, Vāyu-deva speaks in a questioning mode, seeking clarification on proper conduct and moral categories—how to act well, how sin is removed, which ways are beneficial, and how to distinguish truth from evil—thereby prompting an ensuing instruction on dharma.