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Shloka 14

कामद्रुम-रूपकः तथा शरीर-पुर-रूपकः

The Desire-Tree and the Body-as-City Metaphors

धमखियानेषु सर्वेषु सत्याख्याने च यद्‌ वसु । दशेदमृक्सहस्राणि निर्मथ्यामृतमुद्भुतम्‌,धर्म और सत्यके जितने भी आख्यान हैं, उन सबका यह सारभूत धन है। ऋग्वेदकी दस हजार ऋचाओंका मन्थन करके यह अमृतमय सारतत्त्व निकाला गया है यथा कूर्म इहाड्नि प्रसार्य विनियच्छति । एवमेवेन्द्रियग्रामं बुद्धि: सृष्टवा नियच्छति जैसे कछुआ यहाँ अपने अंगोंको फैलाकर फिर समेट लेता है, उसी प्रकार बुद्धि सम्पूर्ण इन्द्रियोंको विषयोंकी ओर फैलाकर फिर उन्हें वहाँसे हटा लेती है

vyāsa uvāca | dharmākhyāneṣu sarveṣu satyākhyāne ca yad vasu | daśedam ṛk-sahasrāṇi nirmathyāmṛtam adbhutam | yathā kūrma ihāṅgāni prasārya viniyacchati | evam evendriya-grāmaṃ buddhiḥ sṛṣṭvā niyacchati |

قال فياسا: بين جميع الحكايات التي تُعلِّم الدارما، وبين جميع الروايات التي تُقيم الحقّ، هذا هو الكنز الجوهري. إنه رحيق عجيب استُخلص بخضِّ عشرة آلاف من أناشيد الرِّغفيدا. وكما أن السلحفاة تبسط أطرافها ثم تضمّها، كذلك العقل المميِّز (buddhi) يطلق جماعة الحواس كلّها إلى الخارج نحو موضوعاتها، ثم يكفّها ويستردّها من جديد—مُبيِّنًا أن قهر النفس وضبطها هو قلب الدارما والحقّ.

धर्माख्यानेषुin the narratives of dharma
धर्माख्यानेषु:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootधर्माख्यान
FormNeuter, Locative, Plural
सर्वेषुin all
सर्वेषु:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्व
FormNeuter, Locative, Plural
सत्याख्यानेin the narrative of truth
सत्याख्याने:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसत्याख्यान
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
यत्which/that (what)
यत्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
वसुwealth; treasure; essence
वसु:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवसु
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
दशten
दश:
Karma
TypeNumeral
Rootदश
FormNeuter, Accusative, Plural
इदम्this
इदम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
ऋक्of a ṛc (Rigvedic verse)
ऋक्:
Sambandha
TypeNoun
Rootऋच्
FormFeminine, Genitive, Singular
सहस्राणिthousands
सहस्राणि:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसहस्र
FormNeuter, Accusative, Plural
निर्मथ्यhaving churned/extracted by churning
निर्मथ्य:
TypeVerb
Rootनिर्मथ्
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)
अमृतम्nectar; ambrosia; immortal essence
अमृतम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootअमृत
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
उद्भुतम्arisen; produced; emerged
उद्भुतम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootउद्भूत
Formक्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Accusative, Singular
यथाas; just as
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा
कूर्मःtortoise
कूर्मः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकूर्म
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
इहhere; in this world/context
इह:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइह
अङ्गानिlimbs
अङ्गानि:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootअङ्ग
FormNeuter, Accusative, Plural
प्रसार्यhaving extended/spread out
प्रसार्य:
TypeVerb
Rootप्रसृ
Formल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)
विनियच्छतिwithdraws; restrains; draws back
विनियच्छति:
TypeVerb
Rootवि-नि-यम्
FormPresent, Indicative, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
एवम्thus; in the same way
एवम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएवम्
एवindeed; just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
इन्द्रियग्रामम्the collection of senses
इन्द्रियग्रामम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootइन्द्रियग्राम
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
बुद्धिःintellect; understanding
बुद्धिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootबुद्धि
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
सृष्ट्वाhaving let loose/sent forth
सृष्ट्वा:
TypeVerb
Rootसृज्
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)
नियच्छतिrestrains; controls; withdraws
नियच्छति:
TypeVerb
Rootनि-यम्
FormPresent, Indicative, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

व्यास उवाच

V
Vyāsa
Ṛgveda
K
kūrma (tortoise)
B
buddhi (intellect)
I
indriya-grāma (the senses)

Educational Q&A

The verse teaches that the essence of dharma and truth is inner mastery: the intellect should be able to deploy the senses when needed and withdraw them from sense-objects, like a tortoise drawing in its limbs.

Vyāsa presents a distilled ‘nectar’ of teaching—claimed as an essence extracted from vast Vedic material—and illustrates it with a vivid simile: the tortoise’s withdrawal becomes a model for disciplined control of the senses by buddhi.