Shloka 32

Devanagari script

पिष्टस्य चेक्षुशाकानां विकारा: पयसस्तथा

Transliteration

piṣṭasya cekṣuśākānāṃ vikārāḥ payasas tathā

Translation

“പിഷ്ടം (അരച്ച ധാന്യം/മാവ്)യും ഇക്ഷു-ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട പദാർത്ഥങ്ങളും പലവിധ വികാരങ്ങൾ പ്രാപിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ, പാലും പല രൂപങ്ങളിലേക്കു മാറുന്നതുപോലെ—ലോകത്തിലെ വസ്തുക്കളും രൂപാന്തരം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.”

Word by Word

• पिष्टस्य: of the ground/pounded (substance)
• पिष्टस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिष्ट
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• इक्षुशाकानाम्: of sugarcane-vegetables/greens (i.e., preparations involving sugarcane and greens)
• इक्षुशाकानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: इक्षुशाक
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• विकाराः: modifications; preparations; products
• विकाराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विकार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पयसः: of milk
• पयसः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• तथा: likewise; similarly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• flour (piṣṭa)
• milk (payas)
• sugarcane (ikṣu)
• vegetables/greens (śāka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses everyday examples—flour, sugarcane/vegetable produce, and milk—to illustrate vikāra (transformation): many forms arise from one underlying basis. Ethically, it supports a reflective view that external changes should not obscure the deeper reality behind appearances.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Vyāsa is explaining a philosophical point through homely analogies, guiding the listener to understand how worldly diversity can be seen as modifications of a more fundamental substance or principle.