Shloka 54

अव्यक्त-गुण-पुरुषविवेकः | Avyakta, Guṇas, and Discrimination of Puruṣa

Devanagari script

अक्षर: क्षरमात्मानमबुद्धिस्त्वभिमन्यते

Transliteration

akṣaraḥ kṣaram ātmānam abuddhis tv abhimanyate |

Translation

ວະສິດຖະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ອາຕະມັນອັກສະຣະ (ບໍ່ເສື່ອມສະລາຍ) ຖືກປັນຍາທີ່ບໍ່ແຍກແຍະເຂົ້າໃຈຜິດວ່າເປັນຂະຣະ (ເສື່ອມສະລາຍ). ແມ່ນບໍ່ໄດ້ປະຕິບັດຕະປະ ກໍຄິດວ່າຕົນເປັນຕະປະສະວີ; ບໍ່ໄດ້ໄປໃສ ກໍຄິດວ່າຕົນເປັນຜູ້ເດີນທາງ. ແມ່ນພົ້ນຈາກການພັນຜູກໂລກ ກໍຄິດວ່າຕົນເປັນຄົນໂລກ; ແມ່ນບໍ່ມີຄວາມຢ້ານ ກໍຄິດວ່າຕົນຢ້ານ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ແມ່ນອັກສະຣະ ກໍຄິດວ່າຂະຣະ; ແມ່ນເກີນກວ່າປັນຍາ ກໍຍັງອວດອ້າງວ່າຕົນສະຫຼາດ—ນີ້ແມ່ນຄວາມຜິດທາງທຳທີ່ເກີດຈາກມົວເມົາຕໍ່ອາຕະມັນ.

Word by Word

• अक्षरम्: the imperishable (Self)
• अक्षरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: अक्षर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• क्षरम्: perishable
• क्षरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: क्षर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आत्मानम्: the self
• आत्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अबुद्धिः: non-intelligence; ignorance
• अबुद्धिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-बुद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• अभिमन्यते: thinks/imagines (to be)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+मन्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Ātman (Self)
• Akṣara
• Kṣara

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Misidentification is the root ethical and spiritual error: the imperishable Self is wrongly taken as perishable, leading to false self-images (ascetic, traveler, worldly, fearful) and pride in intellect even when the Self transcends intellect.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and liberation, Vasiṣṭha explains how delusion (abuddhi) makes one superimpose changing attributes onto the Self, producing contradictory self-conceptions and bondage in saṃsāra.