Shloka 25

Adhyāya 287 — Janaka’s Inquiry on Śreyas, Abhayadāna, and Asaṅga

Non-attachment

Devanagari script

आत्मोत्कर्ष न मार्गेत परेषां परिनिन्दया । स्वगुणैरेव मार्गेत विप्रकर्ष पृथग्जनात्‌

Transliteration

ātmotkarṣaṁ na mārgeta pareṣāṁ parinindayā | svaguṇair eva mārgeta viprakarṣaṁ pṛthagjanāt ||

Translation

那罗陀教诲：不可借贬抑他人来求自我高胜。若真有超越凡俗之卓越，当以自身德行与举止来证明，而非凭口舌与挑剔。缺乏功德者多好自夸；见自身不足，便试图在贤者的美德中寻瑕指过，以此贬损其人。

Word by Word

• आत्मोत्कर्षम्: one's own superiority/excellence
• आत्मोत्कर्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मोत्कर्ष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• मार्गेत: should seek
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृग्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• परेषाम्: of others
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• परिनिन्दया: by blaming/censuring
• परिनिन्दया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिनिन्दा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• स्वगुणैः: by one's own virtues
• स्वगुणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वगुण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

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

• मार्गेत: should seek
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृग्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• विप्रकर्षम्: pre-eminence/superiority
• विप्रकर्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रकर्ष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पृथक्: separately/apart
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक्

• जनात्: from people
• जनात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True excellence should be shown through one’s own virtues and conduct; seeking status by criticizing others is unethical and typically reflects inner lack of merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct, Nārada delivers a moral counsel about how to establish one’s worth: by cultivating and displaying genuine qualities rather than by attacking others.