Shloka 6

Adhyāya 33: Brāhmaṇa-Upadeśa on Buddhi, Āśrama-Forms, and Inner Freedom

Devanagari script

लिज्रैर्बहुभिरव्यग्रैरेका बुद्धिरुपास्यते । नानालिड्जाश्रमस्थानां येषां बुद्धि: शमात्मिका

Transliteration

liṅgair bahubhir avyagrair ekā buddhir upāsyate | nānāliṅgāśramasthānāṁ yeṣāṁ buddhiḥ śamātmikā ||

Translation

ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਬਾਹਰਲੇ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨ ਬਹੁਤੇ ਹੋਣ ਤੇ ਜੀਵਨ-ਅਵਸਥਾਵਾਂ ਵੱਖ-ਵੱਖ ਹੋਣ ਦੇ ਬਾਵਜੂਦ, ਉਪਾਸਣਯੋਗ ਬੁੱਧੀ ਇਕੋ ਹੀ ਹੈ। ਜੋ ਨਾਨਾ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਆਸ਼੍ਰਮਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਵੱਸਦੇ ਹਨ, ਜਦੋਂ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀ ਬੁੱਧੀ ਸ਼ਮ ਅਤੇ ਆਤਮ-ਸੰਯਮ ਵਿੱਚ ਟਿਕ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ, ਤਦ ਉਹ ਇਕਸਾਰ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• लिज्रैः: by/with (the) Lijras (a class/people; reading uncertain)
• लिज्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिज्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• बहुभिः: by many
• बहुभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अव्यग्रैः: by the un-distracted / attentive
• अव्यग्रैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• एका: one (single)
• एका: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• बुद्धिः: understanding, intellect
• बुद्धिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• उपास्यते: is worshipped/meditated upon
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आस् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada, Passive/Impersonal (भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोग)

• नाना: various, diverse
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय)

• लिड्जाश्रमस्थानाम्: of the abodes/places of (various) Lijra-āśramas (reading uncertain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिड्ज-आश्रम-स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• येषाम्: of whom/whose
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• बुद्धिः: understanding, intellect
• बुद्धिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• शमात्मिका: having tranquility as its nature
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शम-आत्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• ब्राह्मण (a Brahmin speaker)
• आश्रम (the āśrama system, as a concept)
• लिङ्ग (external marks/signs, as a concept)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

External identities—marks, roles, and even different āśramas—are secondary; what deserves reverence is a single, steady discernment (buddhi) characterized by śama: tranquility, restraint, and inner composure.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brahmin speaker is instructing the listener that spiritual worth is not determined by outward signs or social-religious station, but by the quality of one’s inner intelligence—especially when it is calm, undistracted, and self-controlled.