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Shloka 30

Mind as Charioteer; Kṣetrajña, Tapas, and Dhyāna-Yoga

Adhyātma-Upadeśa

नावं न शक्यमारुह्ु स्थले विपरिवर्तितुम्‌ । तथैव रथमारुहा नाप्सु चर्या विधीयते

nāvaṁ na śakyam āruḍhuṁ sthale viparivartitum | tathaiva ratham āruhyā nāpsu caryā vidhīyate |

قال فايُو: «كما لا يُستطاع أن يركب المرء زورقًا ثم يتنقّل على اليابسة، وكما لا يُستطاع أن يركب عربة ثم تُساق به في الماء، كذلك فإن الأعمال المتنوّعة التي تأتيها الكائنات تفضي إلى مقاصد مختلفة. في هذا العالم، أيّ نوعٍ من الفعل يفعله الإنسان ينل ثمرةً توافقه.»

नावम्a boat
नावम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनौ (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
शक्यम्possible
शक्यम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootशक्य (कृदन्त; √शक्)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
आरुहुम्to mount / to board
आरुहुम्:
TypeVerb
Rootआ-रुह् (धातु)
FormInfinitive (Tumun)
स्थलेon land
स्थले:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootस्थल (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
विपरिवर्तितुम्to move about / to roam / to turn around
विपरिवर्तितुम्:
TypeVerb
Rootवि-परि-वृत् (धातु)
FormInfinitive (Tumun)
तथाthus / in that way
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
एवindeed / just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
रथम्a chariot
रथम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
आरुह्यhaving mounted
आरुह्य:
TypeVerb
Rootआ-रुह् (धातु)
FormAbsolutive (Ktva/Lyap)
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
अप्सुin waters
अप्सु:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootअप् (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Locative, Plural
चर्याmovement / roaming
चर्या:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootचर्या (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
विधीयतेis prescribed / is possible (is enjoined)
विधीयते:
TypeVerb
Rootवि-धा (धातु)
FormPresent, Passive, Third, Singular

वायुदेव उवाच

V
Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
B
boat (nāva)
C
chariot (ratha)
L
land (sthala)
W
water (apsu)

Educational Q&A

Actions are intrinsically suited to particular outcomes: just as a boat is for water and a chariot is for land, deeds (karma) lead to their corresponding fruits (phala). One cannot expect an incompatible result from a given action.

Vāyudeva delivers a didactic instruction using a practical analogy (boat vs. chariot) to explain karmic causality—why different kinds of conduct lead beings to different destinations and experiences.