Shloka 16

Devanagari script

परापरज्ञस्त्वपरो नाभिमानादुदीरित: । अपरक्ञ: परां बुद्धि ज्ञात्वा मोहाद्‌ विमुच्यते,दूसरा जो अपने-परायेके ज्ञानमें ही उलझा रहता है, वह अभिमानसे ऊपर नहीं उठ पाता। जो किसीके लिये पराया नहीं है, उस परमात्माको जाननेवाला पुरुष उत्तम बुद्धिको पाकर मोहसे मुक्त हो जाता है

Transliteration

parāparajñas tv aparo nābhimānād udīritaḥ | aparajñaḥ parāṃ buddhiṃ jñātvā mohād vimucyate ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: Quien permanece enredado en las nociones de «lo mío» y «lo ajeno» no puede elevarse más allá del orgullo. Pero el hombre que conoce al Supremo—que no es «otro» para nadie—alcanza el entendimiento más alto y queda libre del engaño.

Word by Word

परापरज्ञःknower of the higher and the lower (self/other)

तुbut/indeed

अपरःthe other (inferior person)

नnot

अभिमानात्from pride/egoism

उदीरितःraised up, lifted (past passive participle)

अपरज्ञःone who knows the 'other'/difference (self-other knower)

पराम्supreme, highest

बुद्धिम्understanding, intellect

ज्ञात्वाhaving known

मोहात्from delusion

विमुच्यतेis released, becomes free

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Paramātman (the Supreme Self)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Clinging to the duality of ‘mine’ versus ‘other’ sustains ego and pride; realizing the Supreme Self as non-exclusive (no one is truly ‘other’ to it) grants higher discernment and dissolves delusion, leading toward liberation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśaṃpāyana’s narration, a reflective, instruction-like statement is given: it contrasts a limited, pride-bound outlook rooted in social and personal divisions with the liberating insight that comes from knowing the Paramātman, which transcends all ‘otherness’.