Shloka 32

सत्य–अनृत, प्रकाश–तमस्, स्वर्ग–नरक विवेचनम्

Truth and Untruth as Light and Darkness; Svarga and Naraka as Ethical Consequences

Devanagari script

अदृश्याय त्वगम्याय कः प्रमाणमुदाहरेत्‌ । सिद्धानां देवतानां च यदा परिमिता गति:

Transliteration

adṛśyāya tv-agamyāya kaḥ pramāṇam udāharet | siddhānāṃ devatānāṃ ca yadā parimitā gatiḥ ||

Translation

ଯାହା ଅଦୃଶ୍ୟ ଏବଂ ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରିୟଗୋଚର ନୁହେଁ, ତାହାର ପ୍ରମାଣ କିଏ ଉଚ୍ଚାରଣ କରିପାରିବ? ଯେତେବେଳେ ସିଦ୍ଧମାନଙ୍କ ଓ ଦେବତାମାନଙ୍କର ମଧ୍ୟ ଜ୍ଞାନଗତି ପରିମିତ, ସେତେବେଳେ ପରମାତ୍ମାଙ୍କ ପ୍ରମାଣ କିପରି କୁହାଯିବ?

Word by Word

• अदृश्याय: to the invisible (one)
• अदृश्याय: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदृश्य
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Dative, Singular

• तु: but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• अगम्याय: to the inaccessible (one)
• अगम्याय: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अगम्य
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Dative, Singular

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रमाणम्: measure; proof; authority
• प्रमाणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उदाहरेत्: could state; might cite
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-आ-हृ
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सिद्धानाम्: of the perfected beings (siddhas)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• देवतानाम्: of the deities
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

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

• यदा: when; since
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा

• परिमिता: measured; limited
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-मा (क्त)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• गतिः: movement; range; knowledge/reach
• गतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भरद्वाज उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bharadvāja
• Siddhas
• Devatās

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That the Supreme Reality (beyond sight and sensory reach) cannot be quantified or proven by ordinary measures of knowledge; even exalted beings like Siddhas and gods possess only limited cognitive range.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a philosophical exchange within the Śānti Parva, Bharadvāja challenges attempts to define or measure the transcendent Self, arguing that finite knowers cannot set a ‘measure’ for what is intrinsically beyond sensory and conceptual grasp.