Shloka 21

Jñāna-plava (The Raft of Knowledge): Svabhāva, Prajñā, and the Ascent to Ātmajñāna

Devanagari script

अमृतस्येव संतृप्येदवमानस्य तत्त्ववित्‌ । विषस्येवोद्विजेन्नित्यं सम्मानस्य विचक्षण:

Transliteration

amṛtasyeva saṃtṛpyed avamānasya tattvavit | viṣasyevodvijennityaṃ sammānasya vicakṣaṇaḥ ||

Translation

Orang yang mengetahui hakikat hendaklah berasa puas apabila dipandang hina, seolah-olah meneguk amerta; tetapi orang yang bijaksana hendaklah sentiasa menjauhi kehormatan, seperti menjauhi racun.

Word by Word

अमृतस्यof nectar

इवas if/like

संतृप्येत्should be satisfied / should feel content

अवमानस्यof insult/disrespect

तत्त्ववित्knower of truth/reality

विषस्यof poison

इवas if/like

उद्विजेत्should be alarmed/should shrink away

नित्यम्always

सम्मानस्यof honor/respect

विचक्षणःdiscerning/wise

Speaker

जैगीषव्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

ज

जैगीषव्य (Jaigīṣavya)

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A truth-knower cultivates equanimity: he welcomes insult as a medicine against ego, but treats honor as dangerous because it can intoxicate the mind, inflate pride, and create dependence on external validation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and inner discipline, Jaigīṣavya states a maxim for the wise: be content even when dishonored, and remain cautious of being honored, since praise can become a subtle bondage.