Shloka 25

Devanagari script

सर्प उवाच बुद्धिरात्मानुगा तात उत्पातेन विधीयते । तदश्रिता हि संजैषा बुद्धिस्तस्यैषिणी भवेत्‌,सर्पने कहा--तात! आत्माके भोग और मोक्षका सम्पादन करना ही बुद्धिका प्रयोजन है तथा आत्माका आश्रय लेकर ही बुद्धि विषयोंकी ओर जाती है। इस कारण वह आत्माका अनुसरण करनेवाली मानी जाती है। वह भी आत्माकी चेतनशक्तिके सम्बन्धसे ही है तथा बुद्धिके गुणविधानसे अर्थात्‌ उसकी ज्ञानशक्तिके प्रभावसे ही मन उस गुणसे सम्पन्न होता है यानी इन्द्रियोंके विषयोंको ग्रहण करनेमें समर्थ हो जाता है। अतः बुद्धि तो कार्यके आरम्भसे प्रकट होती है और मन सदैव प्रकट रहता है। (कार्यको देखकर ही कारणकी सत्ता व्यक्त होती है--यह न्याय है)

Transliteration

sarpa uvāca | buddhir ātmānugā tāta utpātena vidhīyate | tadāśritā hi saṃjñaiṣā buddhis tasyaiṣiṇī bhavet |

Translation

The serpent said: “Dear one, the intellect follows the Self; it is set in motion by a sudden impulse. Resting upon the Self, this faculty called ‘intellect’ becomes the seeker that drives one onward. Thus, it is by leaning on the conscious principle within that the intellect turns toward objects and initiates action.”

Word by Word

सर्पःthe serpent

उवाचsaid

बुद्धिःintellect

आत्मानुगाfollowing the self

तातdear one / son

उत्पातेनby a portent / by an upheaval

विधीयतेis produced / is brought about

तत्that

आश्रिताhaving resorted to / resting on

हिindeed

संज्ञाconsciousness / perception

एषाthis

बुद्धिःintellect

तस्यof that (self)

एषिणीseeker / pursuer

भवेत्would be / should be

Speaker

सर्प उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sarpa (the serpent)

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?

The verse teaches that buddhi (intellect) is not independent: it relies on the Ātman (Self/conscious principle). When activated by an arising impulse, it becomes the ‘seeker’ that initiates pursuit—turning toward objects and setting action in motion—yet its power is grounded in the Self.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a didactic exchange, the serpent explains an inner-psychological doctrine: how the intellect functions in dependence on the Self and becomes the motivating, seeking force behind engagement with the world.