Shloka 5

Dharma-Pramāṇa-Vicāra: The Elusiveness of Dharma and the Limits of Rule-Lists

Devanagari script

स्वपतां जाग्रतां चैष सर्वेषामात्मचिन्तितम्‌ | प्रधानाद्वैधमुक्तानां जहतां कर्मजं रज:

Transliteration

svapatāṁ jāgratāṁ caiṣa sarveṣām ātma-cintitam | pradhānād vaidhā-muktānāṁ jahatāṁ karma-jaṁ rajaḥ ||

Translation

ବ୍ୟାସ କହିଲେ—ଯେ ଯୋଗୀମାନେ ଯୋଗବଳରେ କର୍ମଜନିତ ରଜଃ—କାମାଦି—ତ୍ୟାଗ କରିଛନ୍ତି ଏବଂ ପ୍ରଧାନ (ପ୍ରକୃତି) ସହିତ ତାଦାତ୍ମ୍ୟଭାବରୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ମୁକ୍ତ, ସେମାନଙ୍କର ଆତ୍ମା ସଦା ସେମାନଙ୍କ ବଶରେ ରହେ। ନିଦ୍ରା ଓ ଜାଗ୍ରତରେ, ଦିନ ଓ ରାତିରେ—ମନ ଯେଉଁ ଅବସ୍ଥାରେ ଥାଉ—ଆତ୍ମା ନିରନ୍ତର ନିୟନ୍ତ୍ରିତ ରହେ।

Word by Word

• स्वपताम्: of those who are sleeping
• स्वपताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्वप्
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमानकाले), पुं, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• जाग्रताम्: of those who are awake
• जाग्रताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: जागृ
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमानकाले), पुं, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

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

• एषः: this (one/this self)
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: पुं/नपुं, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• आत्मचिन्तितम्: thought of/pondered in oneself
• आत्मचिन्तितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मन् + चिन्तित
• Form: क्त (भूतकर्मणि), नपुं, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रधानात्: from Pradhāna (primordial nature)
• प्रधानात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रधान
• Form: नपुं, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• इधम्: here/this way (reading uncertain)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इधम्

• उक्तानाम्: of those who are said/called
• उक्तानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: क्त (भूतकर्मणि), पुं, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• जहताम्: of those who abandon
• जहताम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हाः
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमानकाले), पुं, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• कर्मजम्: born of action
• कर्मजम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्मन् + ज
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• रजः: rajas (passion/dust)
• रजः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस्
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Ātman (Self)
• Pradhāna (primordial Nature/Prakṛti)
• Rajas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A perfected yogin transcends action-born rajas (desire-driven agitation) and even identification with Pradhāna (Nature). As a result, the Self remains steady and mastered in every condition—sleeping or waking—showing true inner freedom rather than situational calm.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on liberation-oriented disciplines, Vyāsa describes the hallmark of advanced yogins: through yoga they abandon the rajas arising from karma and become free from Nature-based identification, so their inner self remains consistently controlled across day/night and sleep/wake states.