Shloka 43

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

Devanagari script

अव्याहतैश्लेतयते न वेत्ति विषमस्थितै: । आप्याय्यन्ते च ते नित्यं धातवस्तैस्तु धातुभि:

Transliteration

avyāhataiḥ śrūyate na vetti viṣamasthitaiḥ | āpyāyyante ca te nityaṃ dhātavas tais tu dhātubhiḥ ||

Translation

ଭରଦ୍ୱାଜ କହିଲେ—ବାୟୁସମ୍ବନ୍ଧୀୟ କ୍ରିୟା ଅବରୋଧହୀନ ହୋଇ ଶବ୍ଦ ସହିତ ଯଥାଯଥ ଭାବେ ଯୁକ୍ତ ରହିଲେ ମନୁଷ୍ୟ ଶବ୍ଦକୁ ଶୁଣେ ଓ ତାହାକୁ ବୁଝେ। କିନ୍ତୁ ସେହି ବାୟୁସମ୍ବନ୍ଧୀୟ କ୍ରିୟା ଦେଵାଳ କିମ୍ବା ପ୍ରତିକୂଳ ବାୟୁପ୍ରବାହ ଦ୍ୱାରା ବାଧିତ ହୋଇ ବିଷମ ଅବସ୍ଥାରେ ପଡ଼ିଲେ ଶବ୍ଦ ଗ୍ରହଣ ହୁଏ ନାହିଁ। ତଦୁପରି, ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରିୟ ଓ ଶବ୍ଦାଦିର ଆଧାର/ଉତ୍ପାଦକ ଦେହଧାତୁମାନେ ସେହି ଭୂତଧାତୁମାନଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ନିତ୍ୟ ପୋଷିତ ହୁଅନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• अव्याहतैः: by unobstructed (ones/means)
• अव्याहतैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्याहत
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• चेतयते: perceives / becomes aware
• चेतयते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: चेत् (चेतयति)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Ātmanepada

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• वेत्ति: knows / understands
• वेत्ति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• विषमस्थितैः: by those in an uneven/abnormal state
• विषमस्थितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषम-स्थित
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• आप्याय्यन्ते: are nourished / are replenished
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप्यै (आप्याययति/आप्यायते)
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Passive (Karmani)

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

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नित्यम्: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य

• धातवः: constituents / elements
• धातवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तैः: by those
• तैः: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

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

• धातुभिः: by (other) constituents/elements
• धातुभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

भरद्वाज उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bharadvāja
• vāyu (air/wind principle)
• śabda (sound)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sense-perception depends on proper, unobstructed functioning of the elemental factors involved (here, the vāyu-related function enabling hearing). When conditions disturb that function, cognition fails; embodied experience is contingent and conditioned by the bhūtas and dhātus.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a didactic exchange in Śānti Parva, Bharadvāja explains the mechanics of hearing: sound is grasped when the wind-related sensory function is unobstructed, but not when blocked by barriers or contrary air; he adds that bodily/sensory constituents are sustained by the elemental constituents.