Bhṛgu–Bharadvāja-saṃvāda: Vānaprastha-parivrājaka-ācāra, Abhaya-dharma, and Lokānāṃ Vibhāga (Śānti-parva 185)
एवं षोडशविस्तारो ज्योतीरूपगुण: स्मृत: । हस्व दीर्घ
evaṁ ṣoḍaśa-vistāro jyotī-rūpa-guṇaḥ smṛtaḥ | hrasva-dīrghaḥ sthūlaś caukoraś ca sarvataḥ golaḥ śvetaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ raktaḥ pītaś cākāśa-sadṛśo nīlaḥ kaṭhinaḥ ślakṣṇaḥ alpaḥ picchilaḥ mṛduḥ dāruṇaś ceti | evaṁ jyotirmaya-rūpa-nāmakaḥ guṇaḥ ṣoḍaśa-bhedaiḥ vistāraṁ prāptaḥ ||
ພາຣະດວາຊ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ຄຸນທີ່ເອີ້ນວ່າ ‘ຮູບອັນສ່ອງໃສ’ ຖືກເຂົ້າໃຈວ່າຂະຫຍາຍເປັນ 16 ປະເພດ: ສັ້ນ ແລະ ຍາວ; ໜາ; ສີ່ຫຼ່ຽມ; ແລະ ກົມທຸກດ້ານ; ຂາວ, ດໍາ, ແດງ, ເຫຼືອງ, ແລະ ຟ້າດັ່ງທ້ອງນະພາ; ແຂງ ແລະ ລື່ນ; ລະອຽດນ້ອຍ; ໜຽວ/ໜືດ; ອ່ອນ; ແລະ ຫຍາບກະດ້າງ. ດັ່ງນີ້ ຄຸນທີ່ເອີ້ນວ່າ ‘ຮູບອັນຮັງສີ’ ຈຶ່ງຖືກພັນລະນາວ່າແຍກເປັນ 16 ຢ່າງ».
भरद्वाज उवाच
The passage teaches a classificatory view of reality: a single attribute—here called the ‘luminous form’ quality—can be analyzed into multiple distinct modes (sixteen), covering dimensions of shape, color, and tactile/physical properties. It models careful discrimination (viveka) as a tool for philosophical understanding.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, the sage Bharadvāja is explaining a doctrinal enumeration. He lists sixteen differentiations of a quality associated with ‘radiant form,’ presenting a systematic taxonomy rather than a story event.