Shloka 24

Vyaktāvyakta-Viveka and Nivṛtti as Paramā Gati

Manifest–Unmanifest Discrimination and the Supreme Path of Withdrawal

Devanagari script

नारायणादृषिगणास्तथा मुख्या: सुरासुरा: । राजर्षय: पुराणाश्न परमं दुःखभेषजम्‌

Transliteration

nārāyaṇād ṛṣigaṇās tathā mukhyāḥ surāsurāḥ | rājarṣayaḥ purāṇāś ca paramaṃ duḥkhabheṣajam ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: Von Nārāyaṇa her haben die Scharen der ṛṣis, ebenso die Vornehmsten unter Göttern und Asuras sowie die alten königlichen Weisen, das höchste Heilmittel gegen Kummer erkannt. Diese höchste Erkenntnis (des Brahman) wird als die letzte Arznei gelehrt, die alles Leiden heilt.

Word by Word

• नारायणात्: from Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• ऋषिगणाः: groups of sages
• ऋषिगणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषिगण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथा: and also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• मुख्याः: chief (ones)
• मुख्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सुराः: gods
• सुराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• असुराः: asuras
• असुराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• राजर्षयः: royal seers
• राजर्षयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पुराणाः: ancient
• पुराणाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुराण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• आशन्: were
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दुःखभेषजम्: medicine for sorrow
• दुःखभेषजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःखभेषज
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Nārāyaṇa
• Ṛṣigaṇas (sages)
• Suras (devas)
• Asuras
• Rājarṣis (royal sages)
• Purāṇas/ancients (people of old)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents Brahman-knowledge (the highest spiritual realization) as the supreme medicine for duḥkha (suffering), and grounds its authority by stating that sages, gods, asuras, and ancient royal sages have known it through Nārāyaṇa.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and liberation, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira by elevating Nārāyaṇa as the ultimate source and by emphasizing that the highest knowledge is universally acknowledged—even by diverse cosmic beings—as the cure for sorrow.