Shloka 12

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

Grief

Devanagari script

प्रकृतेविक्रियापत्ति: षण्मासान्मृत्युलक्षणम्‌ | यदि मनुष्यकी बहुत बढ़ी-चढ़ी कान्ति भी अत्यन्त फीकी पड़ जाय, अधिक बुद्धिमत्ता भी बुद्धिहीनतामें परिणत हो जाय और स्वभावमें भी भारी उलट-फेर हो जाय तो यह उसके छ: महीनेके भीतर ही होनेवाली मृत्युका सूचक है ।।

Transliteration

yājñavalkya uvāca | prakṛte vikriyāpattiḥ ṣaṇmāsān mṛtyulakṣaṇam | daivatāny avajānāti brāhmaṇaiś ca virudhyate |

Translation

耶若那伐迦说道：“本性与常态若发生显著的乖变，是六个月内将死的征兆。若昔日的光彩忽然黯淡，若敏锐的智慧坠为愚昧，若性情气质骤然翻转，这些都是死期将近的预示。同样，当人开始轻慢诸神，并与婆罗门结怨相争，也表明达摩大幅衰败，终局正在逼近。”

Word by Word

• {'prakṛti': 'one’s natural constitution

• innate disposition', 'vikriyā': 'alteration

• abnormal change', 'āpattiḥ': 'occurrence

• onset', 'prakṛte vikriyāpattiḥ': 'the onset of a distortion in one’s natural state', 'ṣaṇmāsāt': 'within six months

• from six months', 'mṛtyu': 'death', 'lakṣaṇam': 'mark

• characteristic indicator', 'daivatāni': 'the gods

• divine beings', 'avajānāti': 'disregards

• treats with contempt', 'brāhmaṇaiḥ': 'with brāhmaṇas

• with Brahmin sages/priests', 'virudhyate': 'becomes opposed

Speaker

याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yājñavalkya
• daivatāni (the gods)
• brāhmaṇāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sudden, profound deterioration in character, clarity, and reverence—especially contempt for the divine and conflict with brāhmaṇas—is presented as both a moral fall and an ominous sign of imminent death; the teaching urges vigilance over one’s inner nature and dharmic conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s didactic setting, Yājñavalkya instructs about mṛtyu-lakṣaṇas (signs of approaching death), describing observable changes in a person’s disposition and behavior that indicate a near end and a collapse of dharmic orientation.