Shloka 11
Adhyāya 26 — Ekākṣara-Brahman (“Om”) and the Hṛdayastha Guru
Inner Teacher
एकं शास्तारमासाद्य शब्देनैकेन संस्कृता: । नाना व्यवसिता:ः सर्वे सर्पदेवर्षिदानवा:
ekaṃ śāstāram āsādya śabdenaikena saṃskṛtāḥ | nānā-vyavasitāḥ sarve sarpa-devarṣi-dānavāḥ ||
একজনই উপদেশকের কাছে গিয়ে সাপ, দেবতা, ঋষি ও দানব—সকলেই একই শব্দের উপদেশে সংস্কৃত হল; তবু প্রত্যেকের অন্তরে ভিন্ন ভিন্ন সংকল্প জন্ম নিল।
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
A single instruction can be the same for everyone, but its ethical effect depends on the hearer’s inner nature (saṃskāra) and chosen intention (vyavasāya); responsibility for the outcome lies with the listener’s resolve.
Different classes of beings—serpents, gods, sages, and demons—approach one teacher and receive one-word instruction; despite identical teaching, they develop divergent attitudes and determinations, illustrating varied reception of the same counsel.