Shloka 38

Bhṛgu–Bharadvāja-saṃvāda: Vānaprastha-parivrājaka-ācāra, Abhaya-dharma, and Lokānāṃ Vibhāga (Śānti-parva 185)

Devanagari script

तत्रैकगुणमाकाशं शब्द इत्येव तत्स्मृतम्‌ । तस्य शब्दस्य वक्ष्यामि विस्तरं विविधात्मकम्‌

Transliteration

tatraikaguṇam ākāśaṃ śabda ity eva tat smṛtam | tasya śabdasya vakṣyāmi vistaraṃ vividhātmakam | eṣa saptavidhaḥ prokto guṇa ākāśasambhavaḥ |

Translation

ଏଠାରେ ଆକାଶର ଏକମାତ୍ର ଗୁଣ ‘ଶବ୍ଦ’ ବୋଲି ସ୍ମୃତିରେ କୁହାଯାଇଛି। ଏବେ ମୁଁ ସେଇ ଶବ୍ଦଗୁଣର ବହୁରୂପୀ ବିସ୍ତାରକୁ ବିସ୍ତୃତ ଭାବେ କହିବି। ଆକାଶସମ୍ଭବ ଏହି ଗୁଣ ସପ୍ତବିଧ—ଷଡ୍ଜ, ଋଷଭ, ଗାନ୍ଧାର, ମଧ୍ୟମ, ପଞ୍ଚମ, ଧୈବତ ଓ ନିଷାଦ।

Word by Word

• तत्र: there/in that context
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• एक: one/single
• एक: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• गुणम्: quality/attribute
• गुणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आकाशम्: ether/space
• आकाशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शब्दः: sound
• शब्दः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus/so (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• तत्: that (it)
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• स्मृतम्: is remembered/considered
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ
• Form: क्त, Neuter, Nominative, Singular, Passive (past participle)

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• शब्दस्य: of sound
• शब्दस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• वक्ष्यामि: I shall explain
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: लृट्, Simple future, First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• विस्तरम्: expansion/detail
• विस्तरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विविध: various
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आत्मकम्: having the nature of
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सप्त: seven
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विधः: of kinds/types
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रोक्तः: is said/declared
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच्
• Form: क्त, Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Passive (past participle)

• गुणः: quality
• गुणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आकाश: from ether/space
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• सम्भवः: originating/produced
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्भव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भरद्वाज उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bharadvāja
• ākāśa (space/ether)
• śabda (sound)
• ṣaḍja
• ṛṣabha
• gāndhāra
• madhyama
• pañcama
• dhaivata
• niṣāda

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Space (ākāśa) is characterized by a single fundamental attribute—sound (śabda). That one attribute is then analyzed as having a structured, sevenfold manifestation, commonly understood as the seven musical notes (saptasvara).

What is happening in the narrative?

Bharadvāja is teaching a philosophical account of the elements and their qualities. In this verse he identifies the defining quality of ākāśa as sound and announces a detailed explanation of sound’s differentiated forms, presented as seven kinds.