Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

नवे कपाले सलिल संन्यस्तं हीयते यथा । नवेतरे तथाभावं प्राप्नोति सुखभावितम्‌

Transliteration

nave kapāle salila-saṃnyastaṃ hīyate yathā | navetare tathābhāvaṃ prāpnoti sukha-bhāvitam ||

Translation

ପରାଶର କହିଲେ— ଯେପରି ନୂଆ କାଚା ମାଟିଘଡ଼ାରେ ଢାଳା ଜଳ ଚୁଇଁ ହରାଇଯାଏ, କିନ୍ତୁ ଭଲଭାବେ ପୋଡ଼ା ଘଡ଼ାରେ ରଖା ଜଳ ଅକ୍ଷୁଣ୍ଣ ରହେ; ସେପରି ପରିପକ୍ୱ ଓ ବିଶୁଦ୍ଧ ଅନ୍ତଃକରଣରେ ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠିତ ଶୁଭକର୍ମଜନ୍ୟ ସୁଖବାହୀ ପୁଣ୍ୟ ନିଶ୍ଚଳ ରହେ।

Word by Word

• नवे: in a new (one)
• नवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• कपाले: in a pot/earthen vessel
• कपाले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• सलिलम्: water
• सलिलम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• संन्यस्तम्: placed/kept (having been put)
• संन्यस्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-नि-√अस् (न्यस्)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• हीयते: diminishes/is lost
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हा (हायते/हीयते)
• Form: Present, Atmanepada (passive-like usage), Third, Singular

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

• नवेतरे: in the other than new (i.e., in the well-baked/old one)
• नवेतरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव + इतर
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• तथा: so/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अभावम्: non-existence/cessation (loss)
• अभावम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभाव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्राप्नोति: attains/reaches
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√आप्
• Form: Present, Parasmaipada, Third, Singular

• सुखभावितम्: made/imbued with happiness; well-cultivated as happiness
• सुखभावितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख + भावित (√भू/√भाव् + णिच्, क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

पराशर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• earthen pot (kapāla)
• water (salila)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Merit and happiness gained from good actions become stable only when supported by a mature, purified mind; otherwise they ‘leak away’ due to inner impurity, instability, or lack of self-control.

What is happening in the narrative?

Parāśara instructs through a household metaphor: an unbaked clay pot cannot retain water, but a fired pot can. Likewise, spiritual or ethical gains remain only in a well-formed inner character.