Shloka 1

Aśoka-śāstra: Nārada’s Instruction on the Cessation of Śoka

Grief

Devanagari script

अ-क्रा् - एक प्राणायाममें पूरक

Transliteration

yājñavalkya uvāca | tathaivotkramamāṇaṃ tu śṛṇuṣvāvahito nṛpa | padabhyām utkramamāṇasya vaiṣṇavaṃ sthānam ucyate ||

Translation

阎若婆迦说道：“同样地，国王啊，请专心聆听，我将说明人在死亡之际灵魂离身的去向。若生命之气（普拉那）由双足而出，则宣说此离去之人将得至毗湿奴的至上住处。”

Word by Word

• याज्ञवल्क्यः: Yajnavalkya
• याज्ञवल्क्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: याज्ञवल्क्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तथा: thus; likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

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

• उत्क्रममाणम्: one who is departing (from the body)
• उत्क्रममाणम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-क्रम्
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but; and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• शृणुष्व: listen
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अवहितः: attentive; focused
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवहित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नृप: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पदभ्याम्: by/through the feet
• पदभ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Dual

• उत्क्रममाणस्य: of one who is departing
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-क्रम्
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• वैष्णवम्: belonging to Vishnu; Vaishnava
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• स्थानम्: abode; place
• स्थानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उच्यते: is said; is declared
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Passive (Karmani)

Speaker

याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yājñavalkya
• nṛpa (the king, unnamed addressee)
• Viṣṇu
• vaiṣṇava-sthāna (abode of Viṣṇu)
• pāda (feet)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse introduces a doctrine of ‘paths of departure’ at death: the bodily exit-point of the vital breath is linked to the post-mortem destination. Specifically, departure through the feet is said to lead to Viṣṇu’s supreme abode.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yājñavalkya addresses a king and begins an explanation of how the prāṇa departs the body at death and what results follow from different modes of departure, starting here with the case of exit through the feet.