Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 40

Vyaktāvyakta-Viveka and Nivṛtti as Paramā Gati

Manifest–Unmanifest Discrimination and the Supreme Path of Withdrawal

श्रोत्रं वेदयते वेद्यं स शृणोति स पश्यति । कारणं तस्य देहो5यं स कर्ता सर्वकर्मणाम्‌,वही श्रवणेन्द्रियको उसके ज्ञेयभूत शब्दका बोध कराता है। तात्पर्य यह कि श्रवण और नेत्रोंद्राय वही सुनता और देखता है। यह शरीर उसके शब्द आदि विषयोंके अनुभवमें निमित्त है। वह जीवात्मा ही समस्त कर्मोका कर्ता है

śrotraṃ vedayate vedyaṃ sa śṛṇoti sa paśyati | kāraṇaṃ tasya deho 'yaṃ sa kartā sarvakarmaṇām ||

قال بهيشما: «الأذن تُعرِّف الصوتَ القابلَ للمعرفة؛ غير أن الذاتَ الباطنة هي التي تسمع حقًّا وترى حقًّا. هذا الجسد ليس إلا سببًا آليًّا لخبرته بالصوت وسائر موضوعات الحس. وتلك النفس الفردية (الجيفا) هي فاعل جميع الأفعال».

श्रोत्रम्the ear (organ of hearing)
श्रोत्रम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootश्रोत्र
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
वेदयतेmakes known, causes to be perceived
वेदयते:
TypeVerb
Rootविद् (वेदयति)
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Ātmanepada
वेद्यम्the knowable (object)
वेद्यम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootवेद्य (from √विद्)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
सःhe (that one)
सः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
शृणोतिhe hears
शृणोति:
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
सःhe
सः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
पश्यतिhe sees
पश्यति:
TypeVerb
Rootदृश्
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
कारणम्the cause/instrumental basis
कारणम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकारण
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
तस्यof him/its
तस्य:
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular
देहःthe body
देहः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदेह
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
अयम्this
अयम्:
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सःhe
सः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
कर्ताdoer, agent
कर्ता:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकर्तृ (from √कृ)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सर्वकर्मणाम्of all actions
सर्वकर्मणाम्:
TypeNoun
Rootसर्वकर्मन्
FormNeuter, Genitive, Plural

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhishma
Ś
śrotra (ear)
D
deha (body)
J
jīva/ātman (implied agent-self)

Educational Q&A

Perception occurs through sense-organs, but the true experiencer and agent is the inner self (jīva/ātman). The body functions as an instrument (kāraṇa/nimitta) for experiencing objects, while moral responsibility for action is attributed to the self as kartā.

In the Shanti Parva’s post-war instruction, Bhishma continues his philosophical-ethical discourse to Yudhishthira, explaining how cognition and action relate to the senses, the body, and the inner self, grounding ethical accountability in the agent-self rather than in the mere physical body.