Shloka 53

अव्यक्त-गुण-पुरुषविवेकः | Avyakta, Guṇas, and Discrimination of Puruṣa

Devanagari script

अतपास्तप आत्मानमगतिग्गतिमात्मन: । अभवो भवमात्मानमभयो भयमात्मन:

Transliteration

atapās tapa ātmānam agatiṁ gatim ātmanaḥ | abhavo bhavam ātmānam abhayo bhayam ātmanaḥ ||

Translation

ବସିଷ୍ଠ କହିଲେ—ତପ ନ କରି ମଧ୍ୟ ସେ ନିଜକୁ ତପସ୍ବୀ ଭାବେ; କେଉଁଠି ଗମନ ନ କରି ମଧ୍ୟ ନିଜକୁ ଗମନଶୀଳ ଭାବେ। ଭବ (ସଂସାର)ରହିତ ହୋଇ ମଧ୍ୟ ନିଜକୁ ସଂସାରୀ ଭାବେ; ନିର୍ଭୟ ହୋଇ ମଧ୍ୟ ନିଜକୁ ଭୟଭୀତ ଭାବେ ଭ୍ରମ କରେ।

Word by Word

• अतपाः: one who does not perform austerity (non-ascetic)
• अतपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-तपस् (प्रातिपदिक: अतपाः)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आत्मानम्: self
• आत्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अगतिम्: non-going, lack of movement
• अगतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-गति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• गतिम्: going, movement
• गतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• आत्मनः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अभवः: non-existence; being without worldly becoming
• अभवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-भव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भवम्: worldly existence, becoming
• भवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आत्मानम्: self
• आत्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अभयः: fearless
• अभयः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-भय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• आत्मनः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that bondage often arises from misidentification: the mind attributes to the Self qualities it does not possess (austerity/non-austerity, motion/non-motion, worldly becoming/non-becoming, fearlessness/fear). Ethical clarity and liberation begin by seeing through these false self-notions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasiṣṭha is instructing his listener in a reflective, renunciatory discourse typical of the Śānti Parva: he diagnoses the inner error by which a person superimposes contradictory states upon the Self, thereby sustaining confusion and suffering.