Shloka 1

Akṣara–Kṣara Viveka: Vasiṣṭha–Karāla-Janaka Saṃvāda (अक्षर-क्षर विवेकः)

Devanagari script

अकाल एकनवत्यथिकद्विशततमो< ध्याय: पराशरगीता--कर्मफलकी अनिवार्यता तथा पुण्यकर्मसे लाभ पराशर उवाच मनोरथरयथं प्राप्य इन्द्रियाख्यहयं नर: । रश्मिभिज्ञानसम्भूतैयों गच्छति स बुद्धिमान्‌

Transliteration

parāśara uvāca | manorathaṃ yathā prāpya indriyākhyahayān naraḥ | raśmibhir jñānasambhūtair yo gacchati sa buddhimān ||

Translation

ପରାଶର କହିଲେ—ହେ ରାଜନ୍! ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରିୟରୂପ ଅଶ୍ୱମାନଙ୍କୁ ଯୋଗାଇଥିବା ମନୋମୟ ରଥଟି ମନୁଷ୍ୟର (ସୂକ୍ଷ୍ମ ଶରୀର) ଅଟେ। ଜ୍ଞାନଜନିତ ରଶ୍ମି—ଅର୍ଥାତ୍ ଲଗାମ—ଦ୍ୱାରା ତାହାକୁ ସଂଯମ କରି ଯେ ଅଗ୍ରସର ହୁଏ, ସେଇ ବୁଦ୍ଧିମାନ।

Word by Word

• मनोरथम्: mind-made chariot
• मनोरथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनोरथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यथम्: as/according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• प्राप्य: having obtained/reaching
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप्
• Form: Lyap (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• इन्द्रियाख्य: called 'senses'
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इन्द्रिय + आख्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• हयान्: horses
• हयान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• नरः: a man/person
• नरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रश्मिभिः: with reins
• रश्मिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रश्मि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• ज्ञानसम्भूतैः: arisen from knowledge
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान + सम्भूत
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गच्छति: goes/travels
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Parasmaipada, Third, Singular

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

• बुद्धिमान्: wise/intelligent
• बुद्धिमान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बुद्धिमत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

पराशर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• King (rājan)
• mind-chariot (manoratha)
• senses (indriya) as horses (haya)
• reins (raśmi) of knowledge (jñāna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Wisdom is defined as governing one’s life by knowledge: the senses are powerful like horses, but when they are directed by the reins of discriminative understanding, a person travels rightly rather than being carried away by impulse.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s Parāśara-gītā section, the sage Parāśara addresses a king and uses a chariot metaphor: the mind is the chariot, the senses are its horses, and knowledge functions as the reins by which a wise person guides his course.