Shloka 13

Śrī–Indra–Bali Saṃvāda: The Departure and Fourfold Placement of Lakṣmī

Devanagari script

इष्टसत्रेण संसिद्धों भूयश्व॒ तपसा55सुरि: । क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोव्र्यक्ति बुबुधे देवदर्शन:,आसुरि तपोबलसे दिव्य दृष्टि प्राप्त कर चुके थे। ज्ञानयजञ्ञके द्वारा सिद्धि प्राप्त करके उन्होंने क्षेत्र और क्षेत्रज्मक भेदको स्पष्टरूपसे समझ लिया था

Transliteration

iṣṭasatreṇa saṃsiddho bhūyaś ca tapasa āsuriḥ | kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor vyaktiṃ bubudhe deva-darśanaḥ ||

Translation

பீஷ்மர் கூறினார்—ஞான யாகமாகிய இஷ்டசத்ரத்தின் மூலம் நிறைவு பெற்று, மீண்டும் தவத்தின் வழி, தெய்வீகத் தரிசனமுடைய ஆசுரி ‘க்ஷேத்ரம்’ மற்றும் ‘க்ஷேத்ரஜ்ஞன்’ ஆகிய இரண்டின் வேறுபாட்டைத் தெளிவாக உணர்ந்தார்.

Word by Word

इष्टसत्रेणby the (well-)performed sacrificial session

संसिद्धःfully accomplished/perfected

भूयःagain; further; moreover

चand

तपसाby austerity/penance

आसुरिःAsuri (proper name)

क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोःof the field and the knower of the field

व्यक्तिम्manifestation; clear distinction

बुबुधेhe understood; he realized

देवदर्शनःhaving divine vision; seeing the gods

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Asuri

Kshetra

Kshetrajna

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True wisdom is the clear discrimination between kṣetra (the changing body-mind field) and kṣetrajña (the conscious knower). Such discernment is gained through disciplined tapas and the ‘sacrifice’ of knowledge—an inner, ethical-spiritual practice rather than mere external ritual.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma cites the sage Asuri as an exemplar: through successful sacred practice and austerity, Asuri attains divine vision and realizes the distinction between the experiential realm and the witnessing self, reinforcing the Shanti Parva’s instruction on liberation-oriented understanding.