Shloka 6

Śuka–Janaka Saṃvāda: Āśrama-krama, Jñāna-vijñāna, and the Marks of Liberation (शुक-जनक संवादः)

Devanagari script

चक्षुरध्यात्ममित्याहुर्यथा श्रुतिनिदर्शिन: । रूपमत्राधिभूतं तु सूर्य श्षाप्पधिदैवतम्‌

Transliteration

cakṣur adhyātmam ity āhur yathā śruti-nidarśinaḥ | rūpam atrādhibhūtaṃ tu sūryaḥ cāpy adhidaivatam ||

Translation

याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच—चक्षुरध्यात्ममित्याहुर्यथा श्रुतिनिदर्शिनः। रूपमत्राधिभूतं तु सूर्यश्चात्राधिदैवतम्॥

Word by Word

चक्षुःeye; sight

अध्यात्मम्the inner self; pertaining to the self (adhyātma)

इतिthus; as

आहुःthey say; they declare

यथाas; according to

श्रुति-निदर्शिनःthose who cite/point to the Śruti; śruti-expositors

रूपम्form; appearance

अत्रhere; in this context

अधिभूतम्pertaining to the elements/creatures (adhibhūta)

तुbut; indeed

सूर्यःthe Sun

चand

अपिalso; even

अधिदैवतम्the presiding deity aspect (adhidaivata)

Speaker

याज़्वल्क्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yājñavalkya

Śruti (Veda)

Sūrya (Sun)

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 maps perception into a threefold framework: the eye as the inner, subjective factor (adhyātma), visible form as the external object (adhibhūta), and the Sun as the divine presiding power enabling sight (adhidaivata).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Yājñavalkya is explaining a philosophical classification used in śruti-based teaching, illustrating how a single experience (seeing) is understood through self, world, and deity.