Shloka 343
Bhṛgu–Bharadvāja-saṃvāda: Vānaprastha-parivrājaka-ācāra, Abhaya-dharma, and Lokānāṃ Vibhāga (Śānti-parva 185)
एवं षोडशविस्तारो ज्योतीरूपगुण: स्मृत: । हस्व दीर्घ
evaṁ ṣoḍaśa-vistāro jyotī-rūpa-guṇaḥ smṛtaḥ | hrasva-dīrghaḥ sthūlaś caukoraś ca sarvataḥ golaḥ śvetaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ raktaḥ pītaś cākāśa-sadṛśo nīlaḥ kaṭhinaḥ ślakṣṇaḥ alpaḥ picchilaḥ mṛduḥ dāruṇaś ceti | evaṁ jyotirmaya-rūpa-nāmakaḥ guṇaḥ ṣoḍaśa-bhedaiḥ vistāraṁ prāptaḥ ||
एवं षोडशविस्तारो ज्योतीरूपगुणः स्मृतः—ह्रस्वो दीर्घः स्थूलश्च चतुरस्रः सर्वतः परिमण्डलः, श्वेतः कृष्णो रक्तः पीतः खगनीलः, कठिनः श्लक्ष्णश्च, अल्पः पिच्छिलः मृदुर्दारुणश्च।
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage teaches a classificatory view of reality: a single attribute—here called the ‘luminous form’ quality—can be analyzed into multiple distinct modes (sixteen), covering dimensions of shape, color, and tactile/physical properties. It models careful discrimination (viveka) as a tool for philosophical understanding.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, the sage Bharadvāja is explaining a doctrinal enumeration. He lists sixteen differentiations of a quality associated with ‘radiant form,’ presenting a systematic taxonomy rather than a story event.