Ashvamedhika Parva Adhyaya 43 Shloka 36 - Mahabharata | Oriya | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 36

Brahmopadeśa: Adhipatitva-kathana, Dharma-lakṣaṇa, and Kṣetra–Kṣetrajña Viveka

Book 14, Chapter 43

Devanagari script

एते द्रुमाणां राजानो लोके5स्मिन्‌ नात्र संशय: । बरगद

Transliteration

ete drumāṇāṁ rājāno loke 'smin nātra saṁśayaḥ | aliṅdagrahaṇo nityaḥ kṣetrajño nirguṇātmakaḥ | tasmād aliṅgaḥ kṣetrajñaḥ kevalaṁ jñānalakṣaṇaḥ ||

Translation

ବାୟୁ କହିଲେ— ଏହି ଲୋକରେ ଏମାନେ ହିଁ ବୃକ୍ଷମାନଙ୍କର ରାଜା; ଏଥିରେ ସନ୍ଦେହ ନାହିଁ। ନିତ୍ୟ କ୍ଷେତ୍ରଜ୍ଞ ଆତ୍ମା କୌଣସି ବାହ୍ୟ ଲିଙ୍ଗଦ୍ୱାରା ଗ୍ରହଣ ହୁଏ ନାହିଁ, କାରଣ ସେ ନିର୍ଗୁଣ। ତେଣୁ କ୍ଷେତ୍ରଜ୍ଞ ଅଲିଙ୍ଗ; ଶୁଦ୍ଧ ଜ୍ଞାନ (ଚେତନା) ହିଁ ତାହାର ଲକ୍ଷଣ ବୋଲି ମନାଯାଏ।

Word by Word

एतेthese

द्रुमाणाम्of trees

राजानःkings

लोकेin the world

अस्मिन्in this

नnot

अत्रhere

संशयःdoubt

अलिङ्गग्रहणःapprehension (as) without a mark/indicator

नित्यःeternal

क्षेत्रज्ञःknower of the field (Self)

निर्गुणात्मकःwhose nature is without qualities

तस्मात्therefore/from that

अलिङ्गःwithout a distinguishing mark

क्षेत्रज्ञःthe knower of the field (Self)

केवलम्only/merely

ज्ञानलक्षणःhaving knowledge as (its) characteristic

नित्यःeternal

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyu-deva

drumāḥ (trees)

kṣetrajña (Knower of the Field/Self)

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?

The Self (kṣetrajña) is eternal and nirguṇa—beyond material qualities—so it cannot be identified by external signs; its only true ‘mark’ is pure consciousness/knowledge (jñāna).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu-deva is instructing the listener by first asserting a worldly classification (the ‘kings’ among trees) and then pivoting to a higher teaching: the indwelling Self is not an object of sensory identification and is known only as consciousness itself.