Shloka 174

Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment

Parāśara’s Instruction

Devanagari script

येषु पञ्चसु भूतेषु दिशासु विदिशासु च । चन्द्रार्कयोर्मध्यगता ये च चन्द्रार्करश्मिषु

Transliteration

yeṣu pañcasu bhūteṣu diśāsu vidiśāsu ca | candrārkayor madhyagatā ye ca candrārkaraśmiṣu ||

Translation

ଯେମାନେ ପଞ୍ଚଭୂତରେ, ଦିଗ-ବିଦିଗରେ ବ୍ୟାପ୍ତ; ଯେମାନେ ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର ଓ ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟର ମଧ୍ୟବର୍ତ୍ତୀ ଆକାଶରେ ଅବସ୍ଥିତ; ଏବଂ ଯେମାନେ ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର-ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟର କିରଣରେ ବିରାଜିତ— ସେହି ସମସ୍ତ ଅଧିଷ୍ଠାତୃ ଦେବତାଙ୍କୁ ପୁନଃପୁନଃ ନମସ୍କାର, ନମସ୍କାର, ନମସ୍କାର।

Word by Word

• येषु: in which
• येषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

• पञ्चसु: in five
• पञ्चसु: Adhikarana
• Type: Numeral/Adjective
• Root: पञ्च
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

• भूतेषु: in the beings/elements
• भूतेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• दिशासु: in the directions
• दिशासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• विदिशासु: in the intermediate directions
• विदिशासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदिशा
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

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

• चन्द्रार्कयोः: of the moon and the sun
• चन्द्रार्कयोः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र + अर्क
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Dual

• मध्यगता: situated in the middle (between)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य-गत
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• ये: who/which
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• चन्द्रार्करश्मिषु: in the rays of the moon and the sun
• चन्द्रार्करश्मिषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र + अर्क + रश्मि
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• pañca-bhūta (five elements)
• diś (directions)
• vidiś (intermediate directions)
• Candra (Moon)
• Arka/Sūrya (Sun)
• candrārka-raśmi (rays of Moon and Sun)
• adhiṣṭhātṛ-devatāḥ (presiding deities)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That the presiding divine powers pervade all elements, directions, and celestial spaces; therefore reverence and ethical restraint should be maintained everywhere, since no realm is outside sacred order.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s discourse in the Shanti Parva, he offers a comprehensive salutation to the deities associated with the elements, directions, and the Moon and Sun—framing a ritual-ethical worldview where the cosmos is filled with guardians of dharma.