Shloka 30

Mind as Charioteer; Kṣetrajña, Tapas, and Dhyāna-Yoga

Adhyātma-Upadeśa

Devanagari script

नावं न शक्यमारुह्ु स्थले विपरिवर्तितुम्‌ । तथैव रथमारुहा नाप्सु चर्या विधीयते

Transliteration

nāvaṁ na śakyam āruḍhuṁ sthale viparivartitum | tathaiva ratham āruhyā nāpsu caryā vidhīyate |

Translation

Vāyu berkata: “Sebagaimana seseorang tidak dapat menaiki perahu lalu bergerak di daratan, dan sebagaimana seseorang tidak dapat menaiki kereta lalu berjalan di air, demikian pula perbuatan yang beraneka ragam membawa makhluk menuju tujuan yang berbeda-beda.”

Word by Word

• नावम्: a boat
• नावम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• शक्यम्: possible
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य (कृदन्त; √शक्)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• आरुहुम्: to mount / to board
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: Infinitive (Tumun)

• स्थले: on land
• स्थले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• विपरिवर्तितुम्: to move about / to roam / to turn around
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-परि-वृत् (धातु)
• Form: Infinitive (Tumun)

• तथा: thus / in that way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed / just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• रथम्: a chariot
• रथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आरुह्य: having mounted
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (Ktva/Lyap)

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अप्सु: in waters
• अप्सु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• चर्या: movement / roaming
• चर्या: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• विधीयते: is prescribed / is possible (is enjoined)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धा (धातु)
• Form: Present, Passive, Third, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• boat (nāva)
• chariot (ratha)
• land (sthala)
• water (apsu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Actions are intrinsically suited to particular outcomes: just as a boat is for water and a chariot is for land, deeds (karma) lead to their corresponding fruits (phala). One cannot expect an incompatible result from a given action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva delivers a didactic instruction using a practical analogy (boat vs. chariot) to explain karmic causality—why different kinds of conduct lead beings to different destinations and experiences.