Shloka 12

श्रेयो-धर्मकर्मविचारः

Inquiry into Śreyas, Dharma, and Karma

Devanagari script

तद्वज्जातिशतैर्जीव: शुद्धातेडनेन कर्मणा । यत्नेन महता चैवाप्येकजातौ विशुद्धाते

Transliteration

tadvat jātiśatair jīvaḥ śuddhyate 'nena karmaṇā | yatnena mahatā caivāpy ekajātyāṃ viśuddhyate ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：“同样，众生依此修持，往往须经百生方得清净；然而若能以大而恒久的精进力行之，亦可于一世之中得净。”

Word by Word

• तद्वत्: likewise, in the same way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत्

• जाति-शतैः: by hundreds of births
• जाति-शतैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• जीवः: the living being (jīva)
• जीवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शुद्धात्: from/than (being) pure
• शुद्धात्: Apadana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• एतेन: by this
• एतेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• कर्मणा: by action/deed
• कर्मणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• यत्नेन: by effort
• यत्नेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• महता: great, intense
• महता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

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

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

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• एक-जातौ: in a single birth
• एक-जातौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• विशुद्धात्: from/than (being) completely pure
• विशुद्धात्: Apadana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशुद्ध
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• jīva (individual self)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Purification of the self/mind may take many lifetimes through ordinary practice, but intense, sustained effort in the prescribed disciplines can bring thorough purification within a single lifetime.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising on inner discipline and moral-spiritual practice, emphasizing the transformative power of concentrated effort compared to slow progress across many births.