Shloka 18

Śrī–Indra–Bali Saṃvāda: The Departure and Fourfold Placement of Lakṣmī

Devanagari script

सामान्यं जनक ज्ञात्वा धर्मज्ञो ज्ञानमुत्तमम्‌ | उपेत्य शतमाचार्यान्‌ मोहयामास हेतुभि:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | sāmānyaṃ janaka jñātvā dharmajño jñānam uttamam | upetya śatam ācāryān mohayāmāsa hetubhiḥ ||

Translation

ରାଜା ଜନକଙ୍କ ସମଦୃଷ୍ଟି ଜାଣି ଧର୍ମଜ୍ଞ (ପଞ୍ଚଶିଖ) ଉତ୍ତମ ଜ୍ଞାନ ଲାଭ କଲେ। ପରେ ସେ ଶତ ଆଚାର୍ୟଙ୍କ ନିକଟକୁ ଯାଇ ଯୁକ୍ତିସଙ୍ଗତ ହେତୁଦ୍ୱାରା ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ ମୋହିତ ଓ ନିରୁତ୍ତର କରିଦେଲେ।

Word by Word

• सामान्यम्: commonness; sameness; general principle
• सामान्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामान्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• जनक: O Janaka
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनक
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा
• Form: Absolutive (ktvā), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• धर्मज्ञः: the knower of dharma
• धर्मज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• उत्तमम्: supreme; excellent
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उपेत्य: having approached
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-इ
• Form: Absolutive (ya), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• शतम्: a hundred
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आचार्यान्: teachers; preceptors
• आचार्यान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• मोहयामास: he caused to be deluded; he fascinated
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह्
• Form: Periphrastic perfect (liṭ, āma-prayoga), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada, Yes (ṇic)

• हेतुभिः: by reasons; with arguments
• हेतुभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Janaka
• hundred teachers (śata ācāryāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ethical and spiritual excellence is marked by even-mindedness (sāmānya) and the capacity to discern true knowledge (uttama-jñāna) beyond mere institutional authority; reasoned inquiry can expose superficial learning.

What is happening in the narrative?

A dharma-knower, recognizing Janaka’s impartial disposition, approaches a gathering of a hundred teachers and, through sharp reasoning, overwhelms or captivates them—depicting a philosophical contest that highlights the difference between genuine insight and conventional scholarship.