Shloka 36

सूक्ष्मभूत-भूतात्मविज्ञानम्

Knowing the subtle principle and the bhūtātman through yoga

Devanagari script

अरोषमोह: समलोष्टकाञउचन: प्रहीणकोशो गतसंधिविग्रह: । अपेतनिन्‍न्दास्तुतिरप्रियाप्रिय- श्वरन्नुदासीनवदेष भिक्षुक:,ऐसे संन्यासीको रोष और मोह नहीं छू सकते। वह मिट्टीके ढेले और सोनेको समान समझता है। पाँच कोशोंका अभिमान त्याग देता है और संधि-विग्रह तथा निन्दा-स्तुतिसे रहित हो जाता है। उसकी दृष्टिमें न कोई प्रिय होता है न अप्रिय। वह संन्यासी उदासीनकी भाँति सर्वत्र विचरता रहता है

Transliteration

aroṣamohaḥ samaloṣṭakāñcanaḥ prahīṇakośo gatasandhivigrahaḥ | apetanindāstutir apriyapriyaś carann udāsīnavad eṣa bhikṣukaḥ ||

Translation

अरोषमोहः समलोष्टकाञ्चनः प्रहीणकोशो गतसन्धिविग्रहः । अपेतनिन्दास्तुतिरप्रियाप्रियो विचरन्नुदासीनवदेष भिक्षुकः ॥

Word by Word

अरोषमोहःfree from anger and delusion

समलोष्टकाञ्चनःto whom clod and gold are equal

प्रहीणकोशःhaving abandoned the sheaths (koshas)

गतसन्धिविग्रहःbeyond alliance and hostility

अपेतनिन्दास्तुतिःfrom whom blame and praise have departed

रप्रियाप्रियःto whom none is dear or hateful

चरन्wandering

उदासीनवत्like one indifferent

एषःthis

भिक्षुकःmendicant

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

bhikṣuka (mendicant/renunciant)

loṣṭa (clod of earth)

kāñcana (gold)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse defines the ideal renunciant: one who is free from anger and delusion, equal-minded toward wealth and poverty, untouched by praise and blame, and beyond the social-political reflexes of alliance and enmity. Ethical maturity is shown as inner steadiness—no compulsive liking or disliking—expressed as detached wandering and harmlessness.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation, Vyāsa describes the marks of a true bhikṣuka (mendicant). Rather than a plot event, this is a didactic characterization meant to guide conduct: how a renouncer should relate to possessions, reputation, and interpersonal conflict.