Shloka 25

Prahlāda–Indra Saṃvāda: Kartṛtva (Agency) and Svabhāva (Nature) in the Causation of Karma

Devanagari script

साधन आरम्भ कर देनेपर उसे बीचमें न रोके। जैसे आग धीरे-धीरे तेज की जाती है, उसी प्रकार ज्ञानके साधनको शनैः-शनै: उद्दीपित करे। ऐसा करनेसे ज्ञान सूर्यके समान प्रकाशित होने लगता है ।।

Transliteration

sādhanaṃ ārambhaṃ kṛtvā madhye na nivārayet | yathā agniḥ śanaiḥ-śanaiḥ tīvraḥ kriyate tathā jñānasya sādhanam api śanaiḥ-śanaiḥ uddīpayet | evaṃ kṛte jñānaṃ sūryavat prakāśate || jñānādhiṣṭhānam ajñānaṃ trīṃl lokān adhitiṣṭhati | vijñānānugataṃ jñānam ajñānena apākṛṣyate ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହୁଛନ୍ତି—ଯେ ସାଧନା ଆରମ୍ଭ କରାଯାଇଛି, ତାହାକୁ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ବନ୍ଦ କରିବା ଉଚିତ୍ ନୁହେଁ। ଯେପରି ଅଗ୍ନିକୁ ଧୀରେଧୀରେ ପ୍ରଦୀପ୍ତ କରାଯାଏ, ସେପରି ଜ୍ଞାନର ସାଧନକୁ ମଧ୍ୟ କ୍ରମେ କ୍ରମେ ଉଦ୍ଦୀପିତ କର; ଏହା କଲେ ଜ୍ଞାନ ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟ ସମାନ ପ୍ରକାଶିତ ହୁଏ। ଅଜ୍ଞାନର ଅଧିଷ୍ଠାନ ମଧ୍ୟ ଜ୍ଞାନ ହିଁ—ଯେ ତ୍ରିଲୋକକୁ ବ୍ୟାପି ଧାରଣ କରେ; କିନ୍ତୁ ଅଜ୍ଞାନ ଦ୍ୱାରା ବିଜ୍ଞାନ-ଅନୁଗତ ଜ୍ଞାନ ମଧ୍ୟ କ୍ଷୀଣ ହୋଇ ଆବୃତ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• ज्ञानाधिष्ठानम्: the basis/foundation of knowledge
• ज्ञानाधिष्ठानम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञानाधिष्ठान
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अज्ञानम्: ignorance
• अज्ञानम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• त्रीन्: three
• त्रीन्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• लोकान्: worlds
• लोकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अधितिष्ठति: presides over / pervades / stands over
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-स्था
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• विज्ञानानुगतम्: accompanied by discernment/true understanding
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विज्ञानानुगत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अज्ञानेन: by/through ignorance
• अज्ञानेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अपकृष्यते: is drawn away / is diminished
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-√कृष्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Passive (Atmanepada form)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• agni (fire)
• sūrya (sun)
• trayaḥ lokāḥ (the three worlds)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Do not abandon a discipline once begun; cultivate the means to knowledge gradually and steadily. True knowledge becomes luminous through sustained practice, while ignorance can obscure even discernment-guided understanding.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīṣma continues ethical-spiritual counsel, using the metaphor of slowly intensifying fire to recommend patient, uninterrupted cultivation of knowledge and warning how ignorance diminishes insight.