Shloka 24

जनक–पराशर संवादः — वर्ण-गोत्र-धर्मविचारः

Janaka–Parāśara: Varṇa, Gotra, and Dharma Inquiry

Devanagari script

सरितां सागरो भर्ता यथा वेलामिवोर्मिवान्‌ | इति भावगता बुद्धिर्भावे मनसि वर्तते

Transliteration

Bhīṣma uvāca | saritāṁ sāgaro bhartā yathā velām ivōrmivān | iti bhāvagatā buddhir bhāve manasi vartate ||

Translation

ଯେପରି ନଦୀମାନଙ୍କର ଅଧିପତି ସମୁଦ୍ର ଉଚ୍ଛ୍ୱସିତ ତରଙ୍ଗରେ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ହେଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ନିଜ ତଟସୀମା ଉଲ୍ଲଂଘନ କରେ ନାହିଁ, ସେପରି ସାତ୍ତ୍ୱିକାଦି ଭାବରେ ରଞ୍ଜିତ ବୁଦ୍ଧି ତିନି ଗୁଣର ମର୍ଯ୍ୟାଦା ଲଂଘେ ନାହିଁ; ସେ ଭାବମୟ ମନରେ ହିଁ ପରିଭ୍ରମଣ କରେ।

Word by Word

• सरिताम्: of rivers
• सरिताम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित्
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• सागरः: the ocean
• सागरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भर्ता: lord/master
• भर्ता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यथा: just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• वेलाम्: shore/limit (coastline)
• वेलाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेला
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• इव: as/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• ऊर्मिवान्: having waves; wave-filled
• ऊर्मिवान्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्मिवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• भावगता: gone into/absorbed in a state (bhava)
• भावगता: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाव-गत
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• बुद्धिः: intellect
• बुद्धिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भावे: in a state/condition
• भावे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• मनसि: in the mind
• मनसि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वर्तते: exists/abides/operates
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: Lat, Atmanepada, Present, Third, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• sāgara (ocean)
• sarit (rivers)
• velā (shore/boundary)
• ūrmi (waves)
• buddhi (intellect)
• manas (mind)
• triguṇa (three guṇas: sattva, rajas, tamas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when the intellect is stirred by various inner moods (sāttvika, rājasa, tāmasa), it still functions within the limits set by the three guṇas; true discipline is to recognize these bounds and not be carried beyond them by agitation—like the ocean’s waves that do not cross the shore.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction, Bhīṣma continues his discourse on inner governance and ethical steadiness, using a natural image (the ocean and its boundary) to explain how mind and intellect operate within the framework of the guṇas.