Shloka 40

श्रेयो-धर्मकर्मविचारः

Inquiry into Śreyas, Dharma, and Karma

Devanagari script

स तत्र संहारविसर्गमेक॑ स्वधर्मजैर्बन्धनै: क्लिश्यमान: । ततः स हारिद्रमुपैति वर्ण संहारविक्षेपशते व्यतीते

Transliteration

sa tatra saṁhāra-visargam ekaṁ svadharma-jair bandhanaiḥ kliśyamānaḥ | tataḥ sa hāridram upaiti varṇaṁ saṁhāra-vikṣepa-śate vyatīte ||

Translation

ସେଠାରେ ଦେହଧାରୀ ସଂହାର ଓ ବିସର୍ଗର ଏକ ଚକ୍ର ଅତିକ୍ରମ କରେ, ନିଜ ସ୍ୱଧର୍ମଜ ବନ୍ଧନମାନଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା କ୍ଲେଶିତ ହୋଇ। ପରେ ସଂହାର-ବିକ୍ଷେପର ଏପରି ଶତ ଆବର୍ତ୍ତ ବିତିଗଲେ ସେ ହାରିଦ୍ର—ପୀତ-ସୁବର୍ଣ୍ଣ—ଅବସ୍ଥାକୁ ପାଏ।

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• संहार-विसर्गम्: withdrawal and emission (dissolution and creation)
• संहार-विसर्गम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संहार-विसर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एकः: alone
• एकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वधर्म-जैः: born of one’s own dharma
• स्वधर्म-जैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वधर्म-ज
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• बन्धनैः: by bonds, fetters
• बन्धनैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्धन
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• क्लिश्यमानः: being afflicted, being tormented
• क्लिश्यमानः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्लिश्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Passive, शानच् (present passive participle)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हारिद्रम्: yellow (golden)
• हारिद्रम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हारिद्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उपैति: attains, reaches
• उपैति: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-इ
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वर्णम्: color, complexion
• वर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• संहार-विक्षेप-शते: when a hundred (cycles of) dissolution and projection have (occurred)
• संहार-विक्षेप-शते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संहार-विक्षेप-शत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• व्यतीते: when (it) has passed, after (it) has elapsed
• व्यतीते: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-अति-इ
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle used locatively absolute)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even what is called one’s own dharma can become a binding force when it hardens into attachment and karmic compulsion; the being is carried through repeated cycles of dissolution and re-manifestation until a further qualitative transformation is reached.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes a metaphysical process: an individual being, afflicted by bonds arising from its own nature and duties, passes through repeated alternations of cosmic withdrawal (saṁhāra) and projection (visarga/vikṣepa), and after many such cycles attains a distinct ‘hāridra’ state.