Shloka 17

इन्द्र–बलि संवादः

The Dialogue of Indra and Bali on Fortune, Humility, and Restraint

Devanagari script

तपो ह्ाथधिष्ठितं देवैस्तपोघ्नमसुरैस्तम: । एतद्‌ देवासुरैर्गुप्तं तदाहुरज्ञनलक्षणम्‌,देवताओंने तपका आश्रय लिया है और असुरोंने तपस्यामें विघ्न डालनेवाले दम्भ, दर्प आदि तमको अपनाया है; परंतु ब्रह्मतत््व देवताओं और असुरोंसे छिपा हुआ है; तत्वज्ञ पुरुष इसे ज्ञानस्वरूप बताते हैं

Transliteration

tapo hy ādhisthitaṁ devais tapoghnaṁ asurais tamaḥ | etad devāsurair guptaṁ tad āhur ajñāna-lakṣaṇam ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: Die Götter sind in der Askese gegründet, die Asuras aber suchen Zuflucht in einer Finsternis, die Askese zerstört—etwa Heuchelei, Hochmut und hemmende Regungen. Doch die höchste Wirklichkeit bleibt sowohl Göttern als auch Asuras verborgen; die wahrhaft Weisen erklären, dass eben dieses Verborgensein das Kennzeichen der Unwissenheit ist.

Word by Word

• {'tapaḥ': 'austerity

• disciplined spiritual effort', 'adhiṣṭhitam': 'established in

• supported by', 'devaiḥ': 'by the gods (devas)', 'tapoghnaṁ': 'destroying austerity

• obstructing spiritual discipline', 'asuraiḥ': 'by the asuras (anti-gods/demonic beings)', 'tamaḥ': 'darkness

• inertia', 'etad': 'this (truth/reality being discussed)', 'deva-asuraiḥ': 'by gods and asuras', 'guptam': 'hidden

• concealed', 'tad āhuḥ': 'they say/declare that', 'ajñāna': 'non-knowledge

• ignorance', 'lakṣaṇam': 'mark

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Devas
• Asuras
• Tapaḥ (austerity)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Austerity aligned with clarity elevates, but tamas—expressed as hypocrisy, pride, and obstruction—undermines spiritual effort. When ultimate reality is hidden from one’s understanding, that concealment itself is a sign of ignorance; wisdom is the removal of that veil.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction in the Shanti Parva, he contrasts the orientations of devas and asuras: devas uphold tapas, while asuras embrace tamas that disrupts it. He then points beyond both, stating that the highest truth is not grasped by either when ignorance prevails, and that the wise identify this hiddenness as ajñāna.