Shloka 7

वनप्रस्थानम् (Departure for the Forest) — Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 24

Devanagari script

य: सर्वलोकद्वाराणि नित्यं संचरते वशी । देवलोकाद्‌ ब्रह्मलोक॑ गन्धर्वाप्सरसामपि,जो मन और इन्द्रियोंको वशमें रखकर सदा सम्पूर्ण लोकोंमें विचरते रहते हैं। देवलोकसे लेकर ब्रह्मलोक तथा गन्धर्वों और अप्सराओंके लोकोंमें भी उनकी पहुँच है

Transliteration

yaḥ sarvalokadvārāṇi nityaṁ sañcarate vaśī | devalokād brahmalokaṁ gandharvāpsarasām api ||

Translation

Arjuna said: “He who, having mastered his mind and senses, moves constantly and freely through the gateways of all worlds—reaching even the realms of the gods up to Brahmā’s world, and the worlds of the Gandharvas and Apsarases as well.”

Word by Word

यःwho

सर्वलोकद्वाराणिthe gates/doors of all worlds

नित्यम्always

संचरतेmoves about, traverses

वशीself-controlled, master of himself

देवलोकात्from the world of the gods

ब्रह्मलोकम्the world of Brahmā

गन्धर्वाप्सरसाम्of the Gandharvas and Apsarases

अपिalso, even

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Sarvaloka (all worlds)

Devaloka

Brahmaloka

Gandharvas

Apsarases

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Mastery over mind and senses (vaśitva) is presented as the basis of higher spiritual mobility and access—symbolized by free movement through the ‘gates’ of all realms, including the highest celestial worlds.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna is describing an exalted, self-controlled being whose disciplined inner life grants extraordinary reach across cosmic realms—gods’ worlds, Brahmā’s world, and the domains of Gandharvas and Apsarases.