Shloka 16

जनक–पराशर संवादः — वर्ण-गोत्र-धर्मविचारः

Janaka–Parāśara: Varṇa, Gotra, and Dharma Inquiry

Devanagari script

इन्द्रियाणि च कर्ता च विचेतव्यानि भागश: । तमः सत्त्वं रजश्चैव तेडपि भावास्तदाश्रया:

Transliteration

indriyāṇi ca kartā ca vicetavyāni bhāgaśaḥ | tamaḥ sattvaṃ rajaś caiva teḍ api bhāvās tadāśrayāḥ ||

Translation

ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରିୟମାନେ ଓ କର୍ତ୍ତା (ଜୀବ)—ଏମାନଙ୍କୁ ତାଙ୍କ ତାଙ୍କ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ-ଭାଗ ଅନୁସାରେ ପୃଥକ୍ ପୃଥକ୍ ବିବେଚନା କରିବା ଉଚିତ। ତମ, ସତ୍ତ୍ୱ, ରଜ—ଏବଂ ସେଠାରୁ ଜନ୍ମ ନେଇଥିବା ଭାବମାନେ ମଧ୍ୟ—ସେଇ ଜୀବରେ ଆଶ୍ରିତ।

Word by Word

• इन्द्रियाणि: the sense-organs
• इन्द्रियाणि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

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

• कर्ता: the doer (agent/self)
• कर्ता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• विचेतव्यानि: are to be discerned/understood
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चि
• Form: Gerundive (तव्यत्), Neuter, Nominative, Plural, passive necessity

• भागशः: by parts; separately; according to division
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भागशस्

• तमः: darkness; tamas (quality)
• तमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सत्त्वम्: sattva (quality)
• सत्त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• रजः: rajas (quality)
• रजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• एव: indeed; just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• ते: those (i.e., these)
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• भावाः: states; dispositions; modes
• भावाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तदाश्रयाः: dependent on that; resting on it
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् + आश्रय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• indriyāṇi (the senses)
• kartā (the agent/doer)
• sattva
• rajas
• tamas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Discernment (viveka): distinguish the senses from the agent and understand how the three guṇas (sattva, rajas, tamas) and their resulting dispositions operate with the self as their locus. Ethical judgment and liberation-oriented practice depend on recognizing which faculty and which guṇa is driving behavior.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira by presenting an analytical framework: separate the roles of senses and agent, and interpret conduct through the dynamics of the guṇas and their mental states.