Shloka 18

Devanagari script

प्रविशन्ति द्विजश्रेष्ठा: क्षेत्रज्ञ निर्गुणात्मकम्‌ । सर्वावासं वासुदेवं क्षेत्रज्ञं विद्धि तत््वतः,तदनन्तर तीनों गुणोंसे मुक्त हो वे श्रेष्ठ द्विज अनायास ही निर्गुणस्वरूप क्षेत्रज्ञ परमात्मामें प्रवेश कर जाते हैं। तुम सबके निवासस्थान भगवान्‌ वासुदेवको ही क्षेत्रज्ञ समझो

Transliteration

praviśanti dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ kṣetrajña nirguṇātmakam | sarvāvāsaṃ vāsudevaṃ kṣetrajñaṃ viddhi tattvataḥ ||

Translation

Nārada berkata: “Wahai yang terbaik antara para dwija, mereka yang bebas daripada tiga guṇa masuk tanpa susah payah ke dalam Diri Tertinggi yang tanpa sifat—Kṣetrajña, Sang Mengetahui medan. Ketahuilah dengan sebenar-benarnya bahawa Vāsudeva, tempat bernaung sejagat dan kediaman semua makhluk, itulah Kṣetrajña itu.”

Word by Word

प्रविशन्तिenter

द्विजश्रेष्ठाःthe best of the twice-born (Brahmins)

क्षेत्रज्ञम्the knower of the field (Self)

निर्गुणात्मकम्whose nature is beyond the guṇas

सर्वावासम्the abode of all

वासुदेवम्Vāsudeva

क्षेत्रज्ञम्as the kṣetrajña (knower of the field)

विद्धिknow (you should know)

तत्त्वतःin truth; truly

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Vāsudeva

Kṣetrajña

dvija (twice-born)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Freedom from the three guṇas culminates in realization/entry into the attributeless Kṣetrajña (the witnessing Self). The verse identifies this ultimate Knower with Vāsudeva, teaching a unity of self-knowledge (jñāna) and the Supreme Lord as the indwelling reality of all.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on liberation and right understanding, Nārada addresses the ‘best of the twice-born’ and explains the destination of those who transcend guṇas: they enter the nirguṇa Kṣetrajña. He then directs the listener to recognize Vāsudeva as that Kṣetrajña, the universal abode.