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Shloka 31

Adhyāya 302: Guṇa-vicāra, Gati-bheda, and the Imperishable State

Yājñavalkya–Janaka

सयक्षभूतगन्धर्वे सकिन्नरमहोरगे । सचारणपिशाचे वै सदेवर्षिनिशाचरे

sa-yakṣa-bhūta-gandharve sa-kinnara-mahorage | sa-cāraṇa-piśāce vai sa-devarṣi-niśācare, naraśreṣṭha! trīṣu lokeṣu yāvanto deha-dhāriṇaḥ santi, teṣāṃ sarveṣāṃ dehaḥ eṣām eva tattvānāṃ samudāya iti draṣṭavyaḥ | yatra yatra mūrtimat padārthaḥ dṛśyate, tatra tatra eṣām eva tattvānāṃ darśanam bhavati ||

Vasiṣṭha dit : « Ô meilleur des hommes, qu’il s’agisse des yakṣas, des bhūtas, des gandharvas, des kinnaras, des grands serpents, des cāraṇas, des piśācas, des sages divins ou des rôdeurs nocturnes—oui, de tous les êtres incarnés des trois mondes—le “corps” doit être compris comme n’étant rien d’autre qu’un composé de ces mêmes constituants fondamentaux. Quelle que soit la forme qui se manifeste comme être tangible et incarné—dieu, humain, dānava ou toute autre créature—partout on ne voit qu’eux à l’œuvre. L’élan éthique est de relâcher l’orgueil et l’aversion en reconnaissant une unique base matérielle sous toute vie incarnée. »

in that / among those
:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
Formmasculine, locative, singular
यक्षamong Yakṣas
यक्ष:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootयक्ष
Formmasculine, locative, singular
भूतamong beings/spirits
भूत:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootभूत
Formneuter, locative, singular
गन्धर्वेamong Gandharvas
गन्धर्वे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootगन्धर्व
Formmasculine, locative, singular
in that / among those
:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
Formmasculine, locative, singular
किन्नरamong Kinnaras
किन्नर:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootकिन्नर
Formmasculine, locative, singular
महाgreat
महा:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootमहत्
Formmasculine, locative, singular
उरगेamong serpents (lit. crawlers)
उरगे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootउरग
Formmasculine, locative, singular
in that / among those
:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
Formmasculine, locative, singular
चारणamong Cāraṇas
चारण:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootचारण
Formmasculine, locative, singular
पिशाचेamong Piśācas
पिशाचे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootपिशाच
Formmasculine, locative, singular
वैindeed
वै:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै
in that / among those
:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
Formmasculine, locative, singular
देवर्षिamong divine seers
देवर्षि:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootदेवर्षि
Formmasculine, locative, singular
निशाचरेamong night-roamers (demons)
निशाचरे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootनिशाचर
Formmasculine, locative, singular

वसिष्ठ उवाच

V
Vasiṣṭha
Y
yakṣa
B
bhūta
G
gandharva
K
kinnara
M
mahoraga (great serpents)
C
cāraṇa
P
piśāca
D
devarṣi
N
niśācara
T
three worlds (triloka)

Educational Q&A

All embodied beings—divine, human, or otherwise—are constituted by the same fundamental tattvas; therefore the body is an aggregate of shared elements, a view meant to reduce pride, hatred, and caste/species-based contempt.

Vasiṣṭha instructs the listener (addressed as 'naraśreṣṭha') in a contemplative, Sāṅkhya-like analysis: he lists many classes of beings to emphasize that across the three worlds, every tangible form is built from the same constituents.