Shloka 36

ध्यानयोगः — Dhyāna-Yoga

Discipline of Meditation and Mental Restraint

Devanagari script

अपि चेदसि पापेभ्य: सर्वेभ्य: पापकृत्तम: । सर्व ज्ञानप्लवेनैव वृजिनं संतरिष्यसि

Transliteration

api ced asi pāpebhyaḥ sarvebhyaḥ pāpakṛttamaḥ | sarva-jñāna-plavenaiva vṛjinaṃ santariṣyasi ||

Translation

ଯଦି ତୁ ସମସ୍ତ ପାପୀମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ସର୍ବାଧିକ ପାପକର୍ତ୍ତା ହେଉ, ତଥାପି ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଜ୍ଞାନରୂପ ନୌକାଦ୍ୱାରା ତୁ ନିଶ୍ଚୟେ ପାପରୂପ ସମୁଦ୍ରକୁ ଅତିକ୍ରମ କରିବୁ।

Word by Word

• अपि: even; also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• चेत्: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत्

• असि: you are
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (भू)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, 2, singular

• पापेभ्यः: from/than sins (evil deeds)
• पापेभ्यः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप
• Form: neuter, ablative, plural

• सर्वेभ्यः: from/than all
• सर्वेभ्यः: Apadana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: neuter, ablative, plural

• पापकृत्तमः: the greatest doer of sin; most sinful
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापकृत्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular, superlative (-तम)

• सर्वज्ञानप्लवेन: by the boat of complete knowledge
• सर्वज्ञानप्लवेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वज्ञानप्लव
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• एव: indeed; alone; surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• वृजिनम्: evil; sin; wrongdoing
• वृजिनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृजिन
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• संतरिष्यसि: you will cross over; you will pass beyond
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + तॄ (तॄ॒ प्लवनतरणयोः)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), परस्मैपद, 2, singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the gravest moral failing is not final: the verse teaches that transformative knowledge—clear discernment of truth and right conduct—can carry a person beyond accumulated wrongdoing, like a boat that ferries one across a dangerous expanse.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Bhīṣma Parva’s battlefield dialogue context, Arjuna speaks a reassurance about spiritual progress: despite fear of one’s own faults and past actions, the path of true knowledge provides a means to overcome moral distress and move toward right understanding and conduct.