Shloka 21
शकुनि (हिरण्मय-पक्षी) उपदेशः — Vighasāśin and the Difficulty of Gārhasthya
Devanagari script
तप: श्रेष्ठ प्रजानां हि मूलमेतन्न संशय: । कुटुम्बविधिनानेन यस्मिन् सर्व प्रतिष्ठितम्
Translation
苦行（tapas）为众生之最胜：此乃其根本，毫无疑惑。并且依居家之法（家住者之法，gārhasthya），一切苦行皆安立于此居家之法中；苦行乃最上之业。
Word by Word
तपःausterity, penance
तपः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootतपस्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
श्रेष्ठम्best, supreme
श्रेष्ठम्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootश्रेष्ठ
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
प्रजानाम्of creatures/subjects/people
प्रजानाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootप्रजा
FormFeminine, Genitive, Plural
हिindeed, for
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
मूलम्root, source
मूलम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमूल
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
एतत्this
एतत्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootएतद्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
संशयःdoubt
संशयः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसंशय
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
कुटुम्ब-विधिनाby/according to the household rule (householder’s ordinance)
कुटुम्ब-विधिना:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootकुटुम्बविधि
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
अनेनby this, through this
अनेन:
Karana
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular
यस्मिन्in which
यस्मिन्:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular
सर्वम्all, everything
सर्वम्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्व
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
प्रतिष्ठितम्established, founded, resting
प्रतिष्ठितम्:
TypeVerb
Rootप्रति-स्था
Formक्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative, Singular, passive/resultative
Speaker
अजुन उवाच
Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes