Shloka 125

Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman

Manu’s Instruction

Devanagari script

चतुर्भिलक्षणैहीनं तथा षड्भि: सषोडशै: । पुरुषं तमतिक्रम्प आकाशं प्रतिपद्यते

Transliteration

caturbhir lakṣaṇair hīnaṁ tathā ṣaḍbhiḥ saṣoḍaśaiḥ | puruṣaṁ tam atikramya ākāśaṁ pratipadyate ||

Translation

ସେ ଜପକ ସେହି ପୁରୁଷ (ସଗୁଣ ବ୍ରହ୍ମ)କୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ଅତିକ୍ରମ କରି ଆକାଶସ୍ୱରୂପ ନିର୍ଗୁଣ ବ୍ରହ୍ମକୁ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ହୁଏ। ସେଠାରେ ପ୍ରତ୍ୟକ୍ଷ, ଅନୁମାନ, ଉପମାନ ଓ ଶବ୍ଦ—ଏହି ଚାରି ପ୍ରମାଣର ପହଞ୍ଚ ନାହିଁ; ଏବଂ କ୍ଷୁଧା, ପିପାସା, ଶୋକ, ମୋହ, ଜରା ଓ ମୃତ୍ୟୁ—ଏହି ଛଅ ତରଙ୍ଗ ମଧ୍ୟ ନାହିଁ। ପାଞ୍ଚ ଜ୍ଞାନେନ୍ଦ୍ରିୟ, ପାଞ୍ଚ କର୍ମେନ୍ଦ୍ରିୟ, ପାଞ୍ଚ ପ୍ରାଣ ଓ ମନ—ଏହି ସୋଳହ ଉପକରଣରୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ତାହା ରହିତ।

Word by Word

• चतुर्भिः: with four
• चतुर्भिः: करण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्
• Form: नपुंसक, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• लक्षणैः: marks/characteristics (means of definition)
• लक्षणैः: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण
• Form: नपुंसक, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• हीनम्: devoid of
• हीनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तथा: and likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• षड्भिः: with six
• षड्भिः: करण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट्
• Form: नपुंसक, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• सषोडशैः: together with the sixteen (instruments)
• सषोडशैः: करण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-षोडश
• Form: नपुंसक, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• पुरुषम्: the Person (Purusha)
• पुरुषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तम्: that (him)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अतिक्रम्य: having transcended/passed beyond
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति-क्रम्
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वान्त अव्यय), कर्तरि

• आकाशम्: the ether/space
• आकाशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रतिपद्यते: attains/approaches
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-पद्
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथम, एकवचन, कर्तरि

Speaker

विरूप उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Virūpa
• Puruṣa
• Ākāśa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Liberation is described as transcending the conditioned Puruṣa and realizing an unconditioned reality compared to space (ākāśa), where ordinary means of knowledge and the entire psycho-physical apparatus (senses, prāṇas, mind) do not operate, and where existential afflictions like hunger, grief, aging, and death do not arise.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Virūpa speaks a doctrinal verse outlining a hierarchy of realization: one goes beyond the Puruṣa and attains the ‘space-like’ ultimate, characterized negatively as beyond pramāṇas/definitions, beyond the six ‘waves’ of suffering, and beyond the sixteen instruments of embodied experience.