Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 28

अव्यक्तकालमान-निर्णयः

Measures of Time from the Unmanifest; Creation, Elements, and the Primacy of Mind

चत्वारि यस्य द्वाराणि सुगुप्तान्यमरोत्तमा: । उपस्थमुदरं हस्तौ वाक्‌ चतुर्थी स धर्मवित्‌,देवेश्वरो! जिस पुरुषके उपस्थ, उदर, दोनों हाथ और वाणी--ये चारों द्वार सुरक्षित होते हैं, वही धर्मज्ञ है

catvāri yasya dvārāṇi sugupṭāny amarottamāḥ | upastham udaraṁ hastau vāk caturthī sa dharmavit ||

قالت البجعة: «يا خيرَ الخالدين، إن من أحكم حراسة “أبوابه” الأربعة—شهوة الفرج، والبطن (الشهوة إلى الطعام)، واليدان (الأفعال)، والقول وهو الباب الرابع—فذلك هو العارف حقًّا بالدارما».

चत्वारिfour
चत्वारि:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootचतुर्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
यस्यof whom/whose
यस्य:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular
द्वाराणिgates/doors
द्वाराणि:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootद्वार
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
सुगुप्तानिwell-guarded
सुगुप्तानि:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसुगुप्त
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
अमर-उत्तमाःO best of the immortals
अमर-उत्तमाः:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootअमर + उत्तम
FormMasculine, Vocative, Plural
उपस्थम्the genital organ
उपस्थम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootउपस्थ
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
उदरम्the belly
उदरम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootउदर
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
हस्तौthe two hands
हस्तौ:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootहस्त
FormMasculine, Accusative, Dual
वाक्speech
वाक्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootवाच्
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
चतुर्थीthe fourth
चतुर्थी:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootचतुर्थ
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
सःhe
सः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
धर्म-वित्knower of dharma
धर्म-वित्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म + विद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
देव-ईश्वरःO lord of the gods
देव-ईश्वरः:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootदेव + ईश्वर
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular

हंस उवाच

H
Haṃsa (the Swan, speaker)
A
Amarottama (addressed divine being)

Educational Q&A

Dharma is grounded in disciplined self-restraint: guarding desire (sex), appetite (food), actions (hands), and speech. Mastery over these channels prevents harm and cultivates ethical clarity.

In a didactic exchange within the Śānti Parva, the Haṃsa (Swan) delivers a concise moral definition of a ‘knower of dharma,’ using the metaphor of four guarded gates that regulate human conduct.