Shloka 343

Bhṛgu–Bharadvāja-saṃvāda: Vānaprastha-parivrājaka-ācāra, Abhaya-dharma, and Lokānāṃ Vibhāga (Śānti-parva 185)

Devanagari script

एवं षोडशविस्तारो ज्योतीरूपगुण: स्मृत: । हस्व दीर्घ

Transliteration

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 ||

Translation

ഭരദ്വാജൻ പറഞ്ഞു—“ഇങ്ങനെ ‘ജ്യോതിരൂപ’ എന്ന ഗുണം പതിനാറു ഭേദങ്ങളായി വ്യാപിക്കുന്നതായി സ്മൃതമാണ്—ഹ്രസ്വം, ദീർഘം, സ്ഥൂലം, ചതുരശ്രം, എല്ലാദിക്കിലും ഗോളാകാരം; ശ്വേതം, കൃഷ്ണം, രക്തം, പീതം, ആകാശസമമായ നീലം; കഠിനം, ശ്ലക്ഷ്ണം; അല്പം, പിച്ചിലം, മൃദു, ദാരുണം।”

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• षोडश-विस्तारः: the sixteenfold expansion
• षोडश-विस्तारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: षोडशविस्तार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ज्योति-रूप-गुणः: the quality called 'luminous form'
• ज्योति-रूप-गुणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिरूपगुण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्मृतः: is said/remembered (as)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Passive (participial)

Speaker

भरद्वाज उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bharadvāja

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.