Shloka 22

Devanagari script

निरिन्द्रियस्याबीजस्य निर्द्रव्यस्याप्पयदेहिन: । कथं गुणा भविष्यन्ति निर्गुणत्वान्महात्मन:,परंतु परमात्मा तो इन्द्रिय, बीज, द्रव्य और देहसे रहित तथा निर्गुण है; अतः उसमें गुण कैसे हो सकते हैं

Transliteration

nirindriyasya bījasya nirdravyasyāpy adehinaḥ | kathaṃ guṇā bhaviṣyanti nirguṇatvān mahātmanaḥ ||

Translation

वसिष्ठ उवाच— निरिन्द्रियस्याबीजस्य निर्द्रव्यस्याप्यदेहिनः । कथं गुणा भविष्यन्ति निर्गुणत्वान्महात्मनः ॥

Word by Word

निरिन्द्रियस्यof (one) without senses

अबिजस्यof (one) without seed/cause

निर्द्रव्यस्यof (one) without substance/material

अप्पयwithout support/without dependence (reading uncertain)

देहिनःof the embodied one / of the self (as spoken of)

कथम्how?

गुणाःqualities

भविष्यन्तिwill be / will arise

निर्गुणत्वात्because of being without qualities

महात्मनःof the great self (Mahātman)

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

व

वसिष्ठ (Vasiṣṭha)

म

महात्मा/परमात्मा (Mahātmā/Paramātmā)

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 argues that the Supreme Self (Paramātman/Brahman) is intrinsically nirguṇa—beyond material qualities and the guṇas of prakṛti. Since It is not an embodied, sense-based, material entity and is not produced from a causal “seed,” ordinary attributes cannot properly be predicated of It.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s philosophical instruction, Vasiṣṭha is clarifying the nature of the Supreme Reality. He challenges any attempt to ascribe worldly qualities to the Paramātman by pointing out that qualities depend on embodiment, materiality, and causal origination—none of which apply to the Supreme.