Shloka 30

Nīti-Upadeśa: Discernment, Proper Use of Resources, and Social Strategy

न सर्ववित्कश्चिदिहास्ति लोके नात्यन्तमूर्खो भुवि चापि कश्चित् / ज्ञानेन नीचोत्तममध्यमेन यो ऽयं विजानाति स तेन विद्वान्

na sarvavitkaścidihāsti loke nātyantamūrkho bhuvi cāpi kaścit / jñānena nīcottamamadhyamena yo 'yaṃ vijānāti sa tena vidvān

ໃນໂລກນີ້ ບໍ່ມີໃຜຮູ້ທຸກຢ່າງຢ່າງສົມບູນ ແລະບໍ່ມີໃຜໂງ່ສຸດຂີດໃນແຜ່ນດິນ. ຜູ້ໃດຮູ້ວ່າຄວາມຮູ້ມີຂັ້ນຕ່ຳ ຂັ້ນກາງ ແລະຂັ້ນສູງ—ຜູ້ນັ້ນແມ່ນປັນຍາຊົນແທ້ ໂດຍຄວາມເຂົ້າໃຈນັ້ນເອງ.

nanot
na:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)
sarvavitan omniscient person
sarvavit:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsarvavit (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + विद्वस्/विद्-प्रत्यय)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सर्वं वेत्ति इति)
kaścitsomeone/anyone
kaścit:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रत्यययुक्त सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)
ihahere
iha:
Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiha (अव्यय)
Formदेशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)
astiis/exists
asti:
Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootas (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
lokein the world
loke:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootloka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
nanot
na:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)
atyanta-mūrkhaḥan utterly foolish person
atyanta-mūrkhaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootatyanta (अव्यय) + mūrkha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (अत्यन्तः मूरखः)
bhuvion earth
bhuvi:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootbhu (प्रातिपदिक; भुव्/भूमि-शब्द)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
caand
ca:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)
apialso/even
api:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
Formसम्भावना/अपि-कारार्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)
kaścitsomeone/anyone
kaścit:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम
jñānenaby knowledge
jñānena:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootjñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन
nīca-uttama-madhyamena(knowledge) of low, high, and middling (degree)
nīca-uttama-madhyamena:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootnīca (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक) + madhyama (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (नीचश्चोत्तमश्च मध्यमश्च) विशेषणम् (ज्ञानस्य)
yaḥwho
yaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)
ayamthis (person)
ayam:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootidam (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संकेत-सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun)
vijānātiknows/discerns
vijānāti:
Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvi + jñā (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
saḥhe
saḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संकेत-सर्वनाम
tenaby that/thereby
tena:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
vidvāna learned man
vidvān:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootvidvas (प्रातिपदिक; विद्वस्)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणवत् (learned)

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Concept: Wisdom is recognizing gradations of knowledge and avoiding absolutist self/other judgments.

Vedantic Theme: Viveka (discrimination) and amanitva (humility) as supports for right knowledge.

Application: Cultivate intellectual humility; evaluate claims by degrees of certainty; learn from those above, teach those below, and refine one’s own middle ground.

Primary Rasa: shanta

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Dharma/Acara sections): recurring emphasis on viveka, madhyama-marga in conduct and counsel

FAQs

This verse teaches that no human is perfectly all-knowing or completely ignorant; recognizing gradations of knowledge cultivates humility and is itself a mark of real wisdom.

By rejecting extremes (claiming omniscience or dismissing others as fools), the verse supports dharmic conduct—measured judgment, respectful learning, and discernment in counsel.

Approach learning with openness: avoid absolutist certainty, learn from those with greater insight, and do not demean those with less—wisdom grows through recognizing different levels of understanding.