Shloka 76

Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

अपानपा न गदितास्तथान्ये ये द्विजातय: । जपन्ति संहितां सम्यक ते नित्यं तारणक्षमा:

Transliteration

apānapā na gaditās tathānye ye dvijātayaḥ | japanti saṃhitāṃ samyak te nityaṃ tāraṇakṣamāḥ ||

Translation

玉提湿陀罗说道：“凡二次生者以及其他人，若不出不当之言，并以持诵（japa）正诵圣典《三希塔》（Saṃhitā），则恒常具足渡脱之力（使己与人越过罪垢与世缚）。”

Word by Word

• अपानपाः: those who do not drink (water)
• अपानपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपानप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• गदिताः: spoken / uttered
• Type: Verb
• Root: गद् (धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

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

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ये: who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• द्विजातयः: twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजातयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• जपन्ति: they recite / mutter
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• संहिताम्: the Saṃhitā (text/collection)
• संहिताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सम्यक्: properly / correctly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक्

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नित्यम्: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• तारणक्षमाḥ: capable of delivering (saving)
• तारणक्षमाḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तारण-क्षमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• dvijātayaḥ (twice-born)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Right conduct is joined to right sacred practice: disciplined speech (avoiding improper utterance) and correct japa of the Saṃhitā together make a person ‘tāraṇakṣama’—fit to cross over sin and to aid others in crossing.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Vana Parva context, Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on dharma and the power of disciplined religious practice, praising those who maintain purity of speech and properly perform Vedic-style recitation as a means of spiritual protection and deliverance.