Shloka 8

Bhūta-guṇa-saṃkhyāna

Enumeration of the Properties of the Elements and Cognitive Faculties

Devanagari script

सेयं भावात्मिका भावांस्त्रीनेतानतिवर्तते । सरितां सागरो भर्ता महावेलामिवोर्मिमान्‌

Transliteration

seyaṁ bhāvātmikā bhāvāṁs trīn etān ativartate | saritāṁ sāgaro bhartā mahāvelām ivormimān ||

Translation

ਇਹ ਭਾਵਾਤਮਿਕ ਬੁੱਧੀ ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਤਿੰਨਾਂ ਭਾਵ-ਅਵਸਥਾਵਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਪਾਰ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ। ਜਿਵੇਂ ਉੱਚੀਆਂ ਲਹਿਰਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਉੱਛਲਦਾ ਦਰਿਆਵਾਂ ਦਾ ਮਾਲਕ ਸਮੁੰਦਰ ਕਦੇ ਕਦੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਵਿਸ਼ਾਲ ਤਟ-ਰੇਖਾ ਵੀ ਲੰਘ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਸੇ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਚਿੱਤ-ਵ੍ਰਿੱਤੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਨਿਰੋਧ-ਰੂਪ ਯੋਗ ਵਿੱਚ ਟਿਕ ਕੇ ਇਹ ਭਾਵ-ਆਧਾਰਿਤ ਬੁੱਧੀ ਉਹ ਤਿੰਨ ਮੋਡਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਅਤੀਤ ਕਰ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• सा: she/that (f.)
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इयम्: this (f.)
• इयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भावात्मिका: consisting of/characterized by mental states (bhāvas)
• भावात्मिका: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भावात्मिक
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भावान्: mental states; modes of being
• भावान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• त्रीन्: three
• त्रीन्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• एतान्: these
• एतान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अतिवर्तते: crosses over; transcends
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति√वृत्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

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

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

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

• महावेलाम्: the great shore/limit (coastline)
• महावेलाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महावेला
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

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

• ऊर्मिमान्: having waves; wave-filled
• ऊर्मिमान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्मिमत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• ocean (sāgara)
• rivers (saritaḥ)
• shore/coastline (velā)
• waves (ūrmi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the disposition-formed intellect (buddhi shaped by mental states) can, when grounded in yogic restraint of mental fluctuations, transcend the three fundamental modes/states that ordinarily govern experience.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa explains a psychological-spiritual point using a vivid simile: as the ocean sometimes surges beyond its shoreline, so the mind-intellect, when stabilized in yoga, can overstep the usual limits imposed by the three bhāvas.