Shloka 19

परिव्राजक-आचारः (Conduct of the Wandering Renunciant) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 269

Devanagari script

सर्वमानन्त्यमेवासीदिति नः शाश्वती श्रुति: । तेषामदीनसत्त्वानां दुश्चराचारकर्मणाम्‌

Transliteration

sarvam ānantyam evāsīd iti naḥ śāśvatī śrutiḥ | teṣām adīna-sattvānāṁ duścarācāra-karmaṇām

Translation

“我等永恒的圣传宣示：‘此一切确乎无量无边。’然而，对于内力不坠之人——能在严酷苦行与艰难行仪中坚持者——此真理唯可凭艰辛修习与苛峻行事而渐近。”

Word by Word

• सर्वम्: all, everything
• सर्वम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अनन्त्यम्: endlessness, infinity
• अनन्त्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनन्त्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

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

• आसीत्: was, existed
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular

• इति: thus (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

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

• शाश्वती: eternal, perpetual
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रुतिः: revelation, sacred tradition
• श्रुतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• तेषाम्: of them
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Plural

• अदीनसत्त्वानाम्: of those whose courage/being is not depressed; of the undaunted
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदीनसत्त्व
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• दुश्चराचारकर्मणाम्: of those whose conduct and deeds are hard to practice/perform; of difficult conduct-and-actions
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुश्चराचारकर्म
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

Speaker

कपिल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kapila
• śruti (sacred tradition)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Kapila invokes śruti to assert that reality is fundamentally ‘boundless’ (ānantya). The verse links this metaphysical claim to ethical-spiritual effort: only the steadfast, undiscouraged practitioner can move toward such truth through rigorous discipline and demanding action.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instructional dialogue, Kapila speaks as a teacher, citing eternal śruti as authority. He contrasts the vastness of ultimate reality with the difficulty of the path, emphasizing the need for unwavering inner strength and austere conduct.