Shloka 7

Ātma-saṃyama-dharma: One-pointedness of Mind and Senses (शुक–व्यास संवादः)

Devanagari script

परम ऋषियोंने ब्रह्मचर्यके पालनसे ही उत्तम लोकोंपर विजय पायी है; अतः मन-ही- मन अपने कल्याणकी इच्छा रखकर पहले ब्रह्मचर्यका पालन करे ।।

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | paramarṣibhir brahmacaryapālanenaiva uttamalokānāṃ vijayo labdhaḥ; ataḥ manasā svakalyāṇecchayā pūrvaṃ brahmacaryaṃ pālayet || vane mūlaphalāśī ca tapyan suviphulaṃ tapaḥ | puṇyāyatanacārī ca bhūtānām avihiṃsakaḥ ||

Translation

毗耶娑说：至上的诸仙正是凭借对梵行（brahmacarya）的守持，才征服了最高诸界。因此，心中希求自身安乐者，应先奉持梵行。继而依止林居之戒（vānaprastha），当住于林野，以根与果为食，勤修广大苦行，巡行诸圣地，并确保不以自身所作伤害任何有情。

Word by Word

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• मूलफलाशी: one who eats roots and fruits
• मूलफलाशी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूलफलाशिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• तप्यन्: performing austerity
• तप्यन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुविपुलम्: very great
• सुविपुलम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुविपुल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पुण्यायतनचारी: one who moves about in holy places (merit-abodes)
• पुण्यायतनचारी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्यायतनचारिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• भूतानाम्: of living beings
• भूतानाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• अविहिंसकः: non-injuring, not harming
• अविहिंसकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविहिंसक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• parama-ṛṣis (supreme seers)
• uttama-lokas (higher worlds)
• vana (forest)
• puṇyāyatanas (holy places/tīrthas)
• bhūtas (living beings)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Spiritual attainment is grounded in disciplined self-restraint: brahmacarya is presented as the primary foundation, followed by forest-dwelling austerity, pilgrimage to holy places, and unwavering non-violence toward all beings.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vyāsa’s instruction within the Śānti Parva’s dharma discourse, he outlines an ascetic progression: first the observance of brahmacarya, then adopting vānaprastha-like practices—subsisting on forest produce, undertaking intense tapas, visiting sacred sites, and maintaining ahiṃsā.