Shloka 10

मृत्युकारणप्रश्नः / Inquiry into the Cause and Designation of Death

Devanagari script

एतद्‌ू वै जन्मसामर्थ्य॑ ब्राह्मणस्य विशेषत: । आत्मज्ञानं शमश्लैव पर्याप्तं तत्परायणम्‌

Transliteration

etad vai janma-sāmarthyaṁ brāhmaṇasya viśeṣataḥ | ātma-jñānaṁ śamaś caiva paryāptaṁ tat-parāyaṇam ||

Translation

毗耶娑说：“此乃婆罗门尤为特有的与生俱来之能：自我之知（Ātman-jñāna）与内在寂静——制御其心与诸根。若唯以此为归依之目标，则此二者足以达至至高终极（解脱）。”

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सामर्थ्यम्: capacity, power
• सामर्थ्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामर्थ्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• ब्राह्मणस्य: of a Brahmin
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• विशेषतः: especially, particularly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः

• आत्मज्ञानम्: knowledge of the Self
• आत्मज्ञानम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मज्ञान
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• शमः: tranquility, restraint (of mind)
• शमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• एव: only, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• पर्याप्तम्: sufficient
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्याप्त
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• परायणम्: having that as the highest refuge/goal; devoted to that
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परायण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• brāhmaṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vyāsa teaches that self-knowledge (ātma-jñāna) together with inner calm and restraint (śama) is sufficient for liberation when one is wholly oriented to that highest aim.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation, Vyāsa states a principle about spiritual aptitude: the brāhmaṇa’s distinctive strength lies in self-knowledge and mental discipline, which, when pursued as the supreme goal, lead to the highest end.