Shloka 46

त्रिवर्गमूलनिश्चयः — Determining the Roots of Dharma, Artha, and Kāma

Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 123

Devanagari script

पर्वतेभ्यश्न जागर्ति रसो रसगुणात्‌ तथा । जागर्ति निर्क्रतिदेवी ज्योतींषि निर्क्रतेरेपि

Transliteration

parvatebhyaś ca jāgarti raso rasaguṇāt tathā | jāgarti nirṛtidevī jyotīṁṣi nirṛter api ||

Translation

Vasuharomā dit : «Des montagnes, la sève/l’essence (rasa) veille ; et par la qualité de cette essence, elle demeure elle aussi vigilante. La déesse Nirṛti veille, et de Nirṛti même les luminaires restent éveillés. Ainsi, dans une chaîne de soutien réciproque, chaque principe saisit le “bâton” (daṇḍa)—la puissance de retenue et de gouvernement—et demeure en éveil pour la sauvegarde du monde.»

Word by Word

• {'parvatebhyaḥ': 'from the mountains', 'rasaḥ': 'sap, essence

• also taste/juice', 'jāgarti': 'keeps awake

• remains vigilant', 'rasaguṇāt': 'from the quality/property of rasa', 'tathā': 'likewise

• in the same way', 'nirṛti-devī': 'the goddess Nirṛti (often associated with dissolution, adversity, or the south-west quarter)', 'jyotīṁṣi': 'lights

• luminaries (stars, celestial lights)', 'nirṛteḥ': 'from Nirṛti

• of Nirṛti', 'api': 'also

Speaker

वसुहरोम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वसुहरोम (Vasuharoma)
• पर्वत (mountains)
• रस (rasa/essence)
• निर्ऋति देवी (Goddess Nirṛti)
• ज्योतिषि/ज्योतींषि (luminaries/lights)
• दण्ड (daṇḍa, staff of governance/discipline)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents a dharmic vision of governance and cosmic stability: protective power (daṇḍa—discipline, restraint, rightful authority) must remain ‘awake’ through an interlinked chain of supports. Order is sustained when each level of reality performs its role vigilantly for loka-rakṣā (protection of the world).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasuharoma describes a symbolic sequence—mountains, essence (rasa), its qualities, the goddess Nirṛti, and the luminaries—each ‘keeping watch.’ The imagery explains how the world’s protection is maintained through successive agencies that uphold the principle of daṇḍa, i.e., the enforcing power that preserves order.