Shloka 11

Satya-lakṣaṇa (The Characteristics and Forms of Truth) | सत्यलक्षणम्

Devanagari script

यच्च किंचिदिह प्राणी चेष्टते शाल्मले भुवि । सर्वत्र भगवान्‌ वायुश्नेष्टाप्राणकर: प्रभु:

Transliteration

yacca kiñcid iha prāṇī ceṣṭate śālmale bhuvi | sarvatra bhagavān vāyuḥ ceṣṭā-prāṇa-karaḥ prabhuḥ ||

Translation

ନାରଦ କହିଲେ—ହେ ଶାଲ୍ମଲେ! ଏହି ପୃଥିବୀରେ ପ୍ରାଣୀ ଯାହା କିଛି ଚେଷ୍ଟା କରେ, ସର୍ବତ୍ର ସେଇ ଚେଷ୍ଟାର ଶକ୍ତି ଓ ପ୍ରାଣ ଦେଇଥିବା ସମର୍ଥ ପ୍ରଭୁ ବାୟୁ ହିଁ।

Word by Word

• यत्: whatever (that which)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

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

• किंचित्: anything at all, something
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किंचित्

• इह: here, in this world
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• प्राणी: a living being
• प्राणी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• चेष्टते: moves, acts, makes effort
• Type: Verb
• Root: चेष्ट्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• शाल्मले: on/at Śālmala (the earth/continent named Śālmala)
• शाल्मले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाल्मल
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• भुवि: on the earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र

• भगवान्: the blessed/lordly one
• भगवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वायुः: Vāyu, the Wind (deity)
• वायुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• चेष्टा-प्राण-करः: the giver/producer of activity and life
• चेष्टा-प्राण-करः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रभुः: the lord, the powerful one
• प्रभुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Vāyu
• Śālmali
• Earth (bhū)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

All embodied activity and vitality ultimately depend on Vāyu—the pervasive life-wind—who is presented as the divine power enabling motion (ceṣṭā) and sustaining life-breath (prāṇa). This encourages humility about personal agency and reverence for the sustaining cosmic principle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada addresses Śālmali and explains a doctrinal point: whatever any creature does on earth is empowered by Vāyu, who functions everywhere as the giver of both the impulse/ability to act and the life-breath itself.