Shloka 199

Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment

Parāśara’s Instruction

Devanagari script

शृणुयाद्‌ यः स्तवं कृत्स्नं कीर्तयेद्‌ वा समाहित: । तस्य सर्वाणि कर्माणि सिद्धि गच्छन्त्यभीक्षणश:

Transliteration

śṛṇuyād yaḥ stavaṁ kṛtsnaṁ kīrtayed vā samāhitaḥ | tasya sarvāṇi karmāṇi siddhiṁ gacchanty abhīkṣṇaśaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：“凡人若摄心专注，聆听此赞颂之全篇，或以定意诵持，则其一切所作之业，屡屡得以成就。”

Word by Word

• शृणुयात्: should hear / may listen
• शृणुयात्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-linga, Optative (potential), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्तवम्: hymn, praise
• स्तवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कृत्स्नम्: entire, complete
• कृत्स्नम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्स्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कीर्तयेत्: should recite / should chant
• कीर्तयेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु; √कीर्त्/कीर्तयति)
• Form: Vidhi-linga, Optative (potential), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• समाहितः: collected (in mind), attentive
• समाहितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सम्-आ-धा + क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्य: of him / for him
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• कर्माणि: actions, undertakings, works
• कर्माणि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• सिद्धिम्: success, accomplishment
• सिद्धिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• गच्छन्ति: go to / attain
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: Lat, Present, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• अभीक्षणशः: again and again, constantly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभीक्षणशस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• stava (hymn of praise)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Focused listening or recitation of a complete hymn, done with mental composure (samāhita), is presented as a discipline that brings repeated success to one’s undertakings—highlighting the ethical value of attention, steadiness, and devotional practice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, in an instructive mode within Śānti Parva, states the fruit (phalaśruti) of hearing or chanting a particular stava: the listener/reciter, if concentrated, gains continual accomplishment in actions.