Shloka 343
Bhṛgu–Bharadvāja-saṃvāda: Vānaprastha-parivrājaka-ācāra, Abhaya-dharma, and Lokānāṃ Vibhāga (Śānti-parva 185)
एवं षोडशविस्तारो ज्योतीरूपगुण: स्मृत: । हस्व दीर्घ
evaṁ ṣoḍaśa-vistāro jyotī-rūpa-guṇaḥ smṛtaḥ | hrasva-dīrghaḥ sthūlaś caukoraś ca sarvataḥ golaḥ śvetaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ raktaḥ pītaś cākāśa-sadṛśo nīlaḥ kaṭhinaḥ ślakṣṇaḥ alpaḥ picchilaḥ mṛduḥ dāruṇaś ceti | evaṁ jyotirmaya-rūpa-nāmakaḥ guṇaḥ ṣoḍaśa-bhedaiḥ vistāraṁ prāptaḥ ||
ভৰদ্বাজে ক’লে—“এইদৰে ‘জ্যোতিরূপ’ নামৰ গুণ ষোলো ভেদত বিস্তৃত বুলি স্মৃত—হ্ৰস্ব, দীৰ্ঘ, স্থূল, চতুৰস্ৰ, সকলোফালে গোল; শ্বেত, কৃষ্ণ, ৰক্ত, পীত আৰু আকাশসম নীল; কঠিন, শ্লক্ষ্ণ; অল্প, পিচ্ছিল, মৃদু আৰু দাৰুণ।”
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage teaches a classificatory view of reality: a single attribute—here called the ‘luminous form’ quality—can be analyzed into multiple distinct modes (sixteen), covering dimensions of shape, color, and tactile/physical properties. It models careful discrimination (viveka) as a tool for philosophical understanding.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, the sage Bharadvāja is explaining a doctrinal enumeration. He lists sixteen differentiations of a quality associated with ‘radiant form,’ presenting a systematic taxonomy rather than a story event.